The Effects of Bullying
by memoranda
Summary: This is for all you victims. Never, ever, give up. Never give in to what the bullies say. You are special and irreplaceable. Some one out there cares about you. Don't worry. To the bullies: What could you possibly hope to gain? (Guys, the rest of 16 is up. I messed up, but it's fixed now. There's a happy ending, I swear! D:)
1. Julius Ceaser

**Hello! So, I'm in that defiant mood(for some strange reason, considering that I'm home with strep throat, I think XD), and I want everyone to know how much bullying hurts. **

**This is a series of one-shots about bullying and its effects. If you are the victim of bullying, please know this: You are not alone. Never give up hope. Don't ever feel like you need to hurt yourself. Talk to someone. Please. **

**If you are the person who stands to the side and watches, knock it off. You are hurting them just as much as the bully is. "Oh, but I have a reputation to maintain." Shut up. Are you willing to watch someone be beaten down, physically and mentally? Do you WANT them to feel terrible? Do you WANT them to kill themselves because of something you did or had failed to do? This goes for the bullies, too. **

**To the bullies: What's wrong with you? Why do you seek pleasure in other peoples' pain? That is sadistic and cruel, and you won't get far in life if you continue. Please, stop. How would YOU feel if you were in their shoes? Really bad. **

**So, this is for the misfits. The victims. Those freaks in the back of the class that no one seems to like. Know this. You are amazing. You are beautiful. (Handsome for all you Hetalia fanboys) You are special, one of a kind, irreplacible. Never, EVER give in to what other people think. I'll give you a secret: They're jealous. You are better then them. If you ever feel like hurting yourself, this is not the answer. Talk to someone. I'll listen if you want to talk to me. **

**I don't own Hetalia or any of the characters. I own Sophie, who is not really important. **

Verbal bullying

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Madeline Williams walked through the halls of Hetalia High, trying desperately to be seen or noticed in some way. With a sigh of despair, she hung her head, her long, dark blonde hair falling over her violet eyes. It was no use. She was alone. No one liked her. She had already been told that.

Reaching her drama class in the auditorium, Maddie dropped her belongings on the floor next to the chair in which she was sitting in. Maddie fiddled with the bow in her pigtail, pushing her wire-rimmed glasses farther up her nose as she did. Her left hand had hidden itself in the pockets of her over-large red hoodie. She was in the front row of seats in the theater where her third period class was held. The auditorium was far too vast to be heated all at once, so Maddie shivered slightly. This was the coldest place in the whole school.

In groups, the rest of her class filed in, gossiping loudly and happily. The teacher, Mr. Johnson, walked in, conversing with the tech manager and directors of the play that they were in the process of producing. The teacher then sat on the 'apron' and waited for the class to stop talking. The apron was what they called the front of the stage.

The group of ninth and tenth graders slowly, but surely realized that they were causing a hold up and fell silent. When you could hear a pin drop, Mr. Johnson smiled in his quirky way. "Today," he announced grandly. "we will be discussing method acting."

He grinned at the teenagers and continued talking. "Method acting, in a nutshell, is acting from experience. How many of you have seen Julius Ceaser?" A few hands were raised, including Maddie's. "So, Julius Ceaser was raised being told that he was one step away from being one of those Roman gods. He could never be wrong. In the rare occasion that he was wrong, the universe would just have to realign itself. So, just think of the most arrogant man in the history of the universe."

Maddie smiled softly. Her cousin, Alfred, whom she was identical to for some reason, could give Ceaser a run for his money anyday. "But," Mr. Johnson continued. "He didn't know better. He was raised that way. People kept telling him that he was at the highest level a human could be at, so it must've been true. So, he had an-... an almost child-like innocence. Brutus was almost like Ceaser's son. Ceaser raised him like he was. Ceaser loved him. No, not like that, for all those yaoi people back there. Go get a tissue," he told to a group of girls whose noses had started bleeding. Everyone giggled. One person asked in a loud whisper, "Again?" but was drowned out by the lecture."Ceaser gave Brutus everything. Power. Money. Women. So, Brutus was one step below Ceaser himself. Now, you all know about Ceaser's murder?"

The class murmured in response. "Yeah. He was killed by the members of the Roman council on March fifteenth." One girl in the row behind Maddie said in a creepy whisper, "Beware the ides of March!"

"Yes! Good, Sophie," Mr. Johnson praised. "March fifteenth is known as the 'Ides of March' because Ceaser was killed that day. But, according to him, no one stabbed him." He looked around at the class' confusion. No, like, fifteen people stabbed him. Mr. Johnson's finally lost it. Not like he had it in the first place. "No one stabbed him," he repeated, grinning. Mr. Johnson then clarified, "Ceaser was so high and mighty that it was impossible for anyone to ever hurt him. So, according to him, no one stabbed him. Not until Brutus did. He looked at him, the man whom he had raised as his own, with the greatest look of betrayal a human face could ever hold, and he said, 'You, too, Brutus?' Ceaser didn't die from wounds. No, Ceaser died because of an utterly broken heart." Johnson gazed around at the class, whom were all listening intently. "Now, going back to the method acting thing, I want you all to remember a time when you felt broken beyond repair."

Maddie stared at her hands. A time when she had felt broken beyond repair? Just last week.

_Maddie smiled at her white, fluffy golden retriever happily. "Mr. Kumakitchi, I'm going to see Gilbert," she said. Kuma tilted his head to the side. Assuming it was in joy, Maddie said, "Gil? You wanna se Gil? Yeah, you like Gil, don't you, Kumaka? Come on, let's go see him!" Maddie herded the fat dog over to the front door and clipped his leash onto his collar. She called over her shoulder to her Papa, "I'm taking Kuma for a walk!" Papa replied, " Have fun, _mon cherie!"

_Maddie walked to the playground a block from her house, where her boyfriend always seemed to wait for her. Kumagurou wanted to stop and smell every trash can, but Maddie kept tugging him along. "Come on, Kumamidori. It's just over this hill." Kuma seemed to groan. Hills to him were as bad as walking farther. _

_Maddie happily walked up the slope, putting up with Kumading's impatient trudging. Se turned to him, saying, "Almost there, Kumalala! Almost there!" When the panting dog made his way to the top of the hill, he flopped onto the grass, drooling. His beady black eyes told Maddie that he wasn't very happy with her. Maddie just laughed and pet him on the head. Maddie turned back around and stopped cold. _

_Gil was here. But he wasn't here alone. _

_Gil was sitting on the bench next to a girl with long brown hair. And they were holding hands. Maddie watched, horrified. Gil had just cracked a joke, and they were both laughing. Gil was inching closer to her. They sat still for a minute, then Gil, Maddie's Gil, leaned in and kissed her. _

_Maddie stood frozen at the sight in front of her. She trembled, and with a shock, she realized that tears were running down her face. Gil had told her that he was her's. No one else's. He told her that he was going to be faithful. He told her he was going to be loyal. He lied._

_Something in Maddie's fragile heart snapped. "Liar," she said loud enough for the duo to hear, dis belief laced in her voice. The two jumped apart. Gil stared at Maddie, his red eyes wide in shock. He got up and ran to her, and, instead of explaining, he tried to deny that she had seen anything. "Maddie! That wasn't what you think it was, I promise! She- she- she was just... just tutoring me! Yeah! I really need help in, um, chemistry! Yeah! That's all it was, Maddie! I swear! I love you, Birdie!"_

_Maddie was not gullible. She knew he was continuing to lie. The girl he had been snogging ran up to them and smugly told her what Gil's mouth had not. "No, he was kissing me! He's going to dump you for me! Aren't you, Gilly? He told me that I'm better than you. Prettier...More popular...Better. Better than you could ever be. You're nothing. You actually thought you had a chance with someone like Gilbert? Think again, sweetheart! You're nothing. You don't deserve him. Stick to the status quo, honey. Ah, but then again, there's no one in your level anyway. No one is ever going to like you. Ever."_

_Maddie stared at the two. One, whom she had trusted with something as delicate as her heart, had shattered it, and was now continuing to beat the remains with his lies. The other was grinding her into dust and sweeping the powder under the rug, along with her self-confidence. Maddie held up her hand impatiently for silence. "It looks like you two have the perfect chemistry. Thanks, Gilbert." _

_Gil grabbed her hand to stop her from leaving. "Thanks?" Maddie jerked her hand away and balled it into a fist. "For lying to me. For leading me on. For breaking my heart. Need I continue?" Fresh, but thankfully silent tears cascaded down her face, and she turned on her heel to Kumajiro. Kumajiro, noticing his master's pain, lept up and bit the offending ex-boyfriend's pant leg, tearing it away and leaving the albino's leg exposed to the fridgid winter air. _

_"Maddie-" he started. Said girl whirled around, and for the first time in her life, spoke angrily. "Haven't you done enough? Just- just..." Maddie was about to tell him to crawl in a hole and die, but her self-control caught up with her. Just because he had hurt her doesn't mean that she had to hurt him. "...Just leave me alone," she finished, walking down the hill with Kumajiro in her wake. _

_Maddie marched home, her eyes red but not wet, her head held high. Kumajiro was doing his best to keep up with her slowly increasing pace. She started off walking, then speed walking, jogging, and then sprinting as if her life depended on it. Kumajiro didn't like this, but decided it was safer to go with it. His master wasn't this upset everytime she walked him. _

_Maddie practically flew through the door, and she slammed it too close to Kuma's tail for his comfort. She unclipped the leash and hung it in the closet. Her chest heaving from the lack of oxygen in her lungs, she shakily walked up the stairs. "Maddie? _Amour_, is that you?" Maddie paused, her foot suspended above the step. She spoke in a calm voice that contrasted with her feelings. "Yes, Papa." _

_Maddie was good at masking her voice. She had spent countless hours in her room, talking to her reflection in her mirror happily through her distressed tears. Maddie could be crying now, and as long as Papa didn't see her face, they could carry on a pleasant conversation. _

_Maddie started again on her path. She walked into her room and collapsed on her bed with a sigh that reverberated through the stillness. Kicking the door gently shut, she flipped over onto her stomach and began to cry. Snips of the new couple's harsh, grating words pounded against Maddie's brain. _

_"_This isn't what you think it is!"

"He's going to dump you for me, aren't you, Gilly?"

"She's just tutoring me!"

"He told me that I'm better than you..."

"I love you, Birdie!" _This was the last straw for Maddie. Such a lie. The biggest lie of all. And she had bought it, like some sort of fool. Maddie curled into a ball, her already disheveled hair tangling more. Embarrassment flowed through the girl. She actually thought that he loved her. _

Maddie's violet eyes opened. The class was standing up, preparing to act the scene. This wasn't scripted, but all that happened was a few people pretend to stab a person, the person says, "You, too, Brutus?", and then stage-dies. "Okey-dokey. Who wants to be Ceaser first? Maddie, you look like you picked a good memory," Mr. Johnson called out. Maddie silently nodded and stood up. "Uh...Gilbert! Why don't you be Brutus? Your motivation for this is you're tired of playing second banana. You want to be at the top of the pile, so to speak. Got your dagger?" Gil grinned and held up a plastic knife. "Alrightie, then. No actual stabbing of the Maddie, please. Action!"

Maddie stood in center stage and crossed her arms, fake glaring at the actors and actresses circling her. Then, one by one, each person came up and stuck their prop between Maddie's arm and her stomach. Maddie jumped, as if she couldn't believe that they had the gall to hurt her. Then, Gil sauntered up and poked her in the stomach with the tip of his 'Dagger'. Maddie grasped what the blade was supposed to be and doubled over. She pretended to gasp in pain as she jerked it away, and then let it fall from her limp fingers with a small clatter. She closed her eyes and remembered Gil's words at the park that day. "_I love you, Birdie!"_ She let the shock, anger and betrayal creep into her expression, mixing with the fake pain. "You, too, Brutus?" A tear, a real tear caused by the painful memory slipped down her face. Maddie looked into Gil's eyes. He didn't seem to be faking the look of triumph. Maddie collapsed onto her knees, and then fell to the side on her shoulder. The tear crossed sideways across her face due to the sudden change of position and hung from her nose for a few seconds before falling onto the stage with an inaudible _plop!_

**Ta-da! Did you all catch what Hungary said? Pretty mean, right? Yeah. So, if you notice, what actually hurt Maddie the worst was Prussia lying to her. **

**"Lying isn't verbal bullying," you say. Well, look who knows everything! *rolls eyes* You'd be surprised. To be betrayed, to me, is the worst type of bullying that a person can do. You know, you trust someone, you love them, you laugh with them, you give them everything, and they just rip you down. Destroy you. Never regret anything. I hate people who do that. It's so terrible that I can't actually describe my rage with words, which only makes me angrier. Grr. **

**So, if you feel like you need to hurt yourself, please, don't. Talk to me, and I'll try to help you. Even though I'll probably fail miserably. **

**Ja. Daht ish mein sctory. Zhe chahptah un. Moar chahptahz to cuhm. Ja. Gutenwafel. Ich leibe tahkin und tyhpin un zhe Jerhmun aksent. Ja. Ish fuhn. :3 Vhat about ze Frenchy-franch askent, non? Da. Or zhe Ruzian. Or British! Nah, British isn't as fun to type. But look! Colour! Favourite! I'm putting the 'u's in where Americans don't put them! XD Sorry. I'm messing with the mood. I tend to do that.**

**Okay, flames are accepted, but not appreciated!**

**(Hey, why aren't good reviews called icecicles? I mean, if BAD reviews are flames, then good reviews should have something to do with coldness. Hm. Daht ish fuhny. :3 Moar Jerhmun aksent.)**


	2. Practice what you preach

**Hey, guys! Thank you all so much for the reviews! :3 *gives cookies to Zelda12343, Shadow-Gaze14, ZeldaLove Akira-Chan, Hetaliapasta90, AngelSunshine, and Any59***

**So, I tthink I made my message pretty clear last chapter, so I'm not going to rant like I did. ^_^ I don't know exactly what made me write this, but I did anyway. I think I was just thinking about the new movie, "Bullies", and how not a lot of kids can see it because it's rated 'R', so, I thought I should take a stand and at least let the Hetalia fans know what kids and teenagers are going through. So, yeah. **

**Crack pairings for the win. XD Imma try not to use CanLiet. I just made that up. It looks like that, and you can take it how you want to. Crack pairings are fun to write. :3**

Physical Bullying

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Toris gazed over the crowd of people, trying to make sure that _he_ wasn't folling him to his locker. What did Toris do to deserve what he did to him? The brunette boy was covered in scars and bruises, courtesey of that violet-eyed psycopath. Bullying Toris was a favorite past-time of Ivan.

Toris shuddered at the thought of his name. The Russian boy loved to torment the poor Lithuainian. Sometimes his insane sister joined in on the 'fun'.

Toris reached his destination. He turned the lock back and forth, entering his combination. The locker door swung open. Toris shoved his writing utensils into his bright orange backpack when a gloved hand flew out and slammed the door. Toris jerked back his hand just in time to spare his fingers, but nothing prepared him for the blow to his stomach.

Toris doubled over and moaned in pain. The hand grabbed a fistful of his chestnut brown hair and forced his head up. Shaking, Toris gazed fearfully into the purple eyes of Ivan. "Hello, Toris. Ready for our little playdate?" he asked, giggling. Now, if it was one thing a tall, muscular, generally creepy man-boy should NOT do, it was giggle. Ivan's voice was way too high to be considered normal. Maybe his mom fed him helium balloons when he was a baby.

"Uh, n-no, I-Ivan, I-I'm n-not r-ready," Toris stuttered. "I-I l-left s-some...t-things a-at m-my house t-that I n-need b-before we...um, 'play'." Toris knew all too well what the silver-haired boy meant by 'play', and he was not excited.

"Aww, that's too bad! Oh, well. You can go without them, just for today," Ivan said, grinning sadisticly. And with that, Ivan dragged Toris through the double doors of the school, past the soccer field and behind the school building.

When Ivan let go of Toris' hair, the boy froze and fiddled with the front of his green T-shirt timidly. Toris knew better than to run; Ivan would hurt him more if he made a break for it.

While Ivan readied his 'plaything', meaning a heavy metal pipe, Toris looked through the alleyway and saw Ivan's beautiful little sister, Natalya. Heartless as she was, Toris couldn't help but feel attracted to her beauty, even though she scared him. With a whooshing sound, Ivan slammed the pipe into Toris' arm. "You were staring at my sister again, Da?"

Gritting his teeth so he didn't cry out, Toris clentched his eyes and shook his head. "Nyet. Do not lie to me, Toris," Ivan sang happily while hitting him in the back. Toris shook his head more firmly. "I-I was looking a-at...Lixie," he lied. Lixie was the Polish girl who liked to wear boy clothes and be call Felix. People called her Lixie as a nickname.

"Nyet, you hesitated. You were looking at Natalya." A flash of silver and a cracking sound made Toris collapse to the ground, biting his tounge so hard it bled, clutching his leg; Ivan seemed to have broken it. Tears of pain rolled down his face, and he silently begged someone, anyone to get help.

"Aw, you are not crying, are you?" Ivan giggled in mock concern, crouching next to his victim. "I was only getting started!" He punched Toris on the arm, causing a bruise to immediately spring there. "Hmm," he mused, staring at Toris' face. "I think you need some work done!"

Ivan withdrew a long, sharp knife from his coat pocket, where the teachers couldn't confiscate it. Running the blade gently over his thumb, he pressed the tip on Toris' cheekbone and slowly dragged it across his face. Toris whimpered in pain as he felt the blood drip down his chin and fall with a plop onto his shirt collar. The thin cut burned in the spring air.

"I-Ivan, p-please, st-stop!" Toris pleaded, clentching and unclentching his fists even though he had no intention of attacking the boy. "Begging, now, are we?" Ivan made a tutting noise with his teeth. "That is a sign of weakness. You should know better by now, da." He lifted the trembling boy with one hand by the scruff of his neck and threw him against the wall. Toris let out an involuntary cry of pain and shock; it was good for him that it was quiet.

Toris lay on his side, gasping for the air that seemed to have left him. A foot swung out of nowhere, hitting him directly in the ribs. Toris yelped, curling into a compact ball. the whole side of his face was scarlet due to lying in a puddle of his own blood. Not wanting the cut to be infected, Toris slid his hand under his cheek, blocking it from the pathogens that were swarming him on the ground. The boy coughed into his knees, and they were stained with crimson. His green eyes swam with tears. "What did I ever do to you, Ivan?" His voice was soft and sad, but not trembling.

Ivan grabbed the back of his shirt with one of his meaty hands and lifted him up again. "You are weak. You are pathetic. You should die. If killing was not illegal, I'm sure someone would have already killed you so I would not have to," he hissed into Toris' ear. For once, Ivan's voice was not happy; Ivan's voice was angry.

Toris went limp, hoping Ivan would drop him. Instead, he tossed the boy against the dumpster. A loud noise resounded in the alleyway when Toris' body made impact with the metal box, simalar to the sound a church bell makes when it is hit. Please, Toris thought. Please, let anyone hear that. Please. Toris slowly shuffled backwards, trying to squeeze in the crack between the wall and the dumpster. "Now you are trying to hide?" Ivan chirped, happy once again.

Ivan grabbed the foot that was broken and dragged Toris into the clearing. Toris let out a muffled yell of pain into his bloodstained shirt. "No screaming, da?" Ivan sang, stuffing a random napkin into Toris' mouth. Ivan probably picked it out of the dumpster. At least it wasn't a banana peel.

It was ironic that Toris was just thinking of banana peels, considering that someone had placed one in Ivan's path. As he released Toris and fell backwards with a look of shock on his face, a girl that Toris had only walked past in the halls stepped protectively in front of him, facing Ivan. She was wearing a red hoodie and her long dark blonde hair was tied into two pigtails and secured with two red ribbons. "Ivan, why are you hurting Toris?" she asked in a voice that was no more than a whisper.

Ivan looked up, confused. "Who are you?" The girl sighed. "I'm Maddie. We're in the same geography class. You keep sitting on me," she explained. "You are sure, da?" In a tone that suggests she was rolling her eyes, Maddie replied, "Yes. Now get out of here and feel lucky that I'm not calling the police."

Ivan glared at the girl, and Toris imagined her glaring right back. Soon, Ivan got up and walked away, laughing in that creepy way of his. "Kolkolkolkolkol..."

When Ivan walked out of sight, Maddie crouched next to Toris. "Are you okay?" she asked kindly. Toris shook his head. "I don't know. I think he broke my leg. I don't think I can walk."

Maddie smiled comfortingly at him and brought out a bandage. "I always carry one of these around with me. I tend to trip over myself," she said as she wrapped it tightly around his ankle. Gingerly flexing it, she asked, "Does that feel better?"

The pain was still there, but it was muted greatly. "Yes. Thank you," Toris said, ducking his head so she wouldn't notice him softly crying. "Are you sure you're okay? Do you need a hug?" Maddie asked, trying to catch his gaze. Overwhelmed, Toris embraced his savior, sobbing into her shoulder. "It hurts. It hurts so bad," he whimpered. Every inch of Toris was throbbing. Why did Ivan do this to him? "Shh," she comforted. "It's all over now..."

After a while, Maddie said, "Come on." Toris looked at her. "Where are we going?" Maddie smiled. "You're going to the nurse. I'm going to the office to teach Braginski a lesson."

Toris shook his head. "No! What if-...What if he-...?" Maddie gently looped Toris' arm around her shoulder and helped him stand. "This shouldn't go by unnoticed. Ivan needs to stop. If he isn't turned in, he can keep doing this to you all he wants. I know you're scared," she said softly. "But if it makes you feel better, I'll turn in my ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend, too." Toris looked at Maddie, who was slowly helping him limp along. "What did they do to you?" He looked away, muttering, "Never mind. It's none of my business."

"It's alright," the Canadian said. "My Ex lied to me and his girlfriend verbally hurt me. I-I was kinda afraid of doing that sooner, but I really should practice what I preach."

The two emerged from the dark alleyway, blinking in the sunlight. "Hi, Toris!" Lixie called, oblivious to Toris' pain. Coming closer, the cross-dresser stopped short. "Ohmigosh, is she, like, your girlfriend?"

"No, Felix. She's not my girlfriend," was Toris' dull response. "Ohmigosh, you're like, sooo down today! Like, what's wrong? Oh, BTW, I love your shirt! Is it designer?" the ever-bubbly Lixie gasped. To her, the bloodstains were drops of paint artfully splattered across the T-shirt. "Hey, what's wrong with your foot? Ohmigosh, it's Ivan again, isn't it?" Lixie babbled as she bounced in their wake. "OHMIGOSH, LIKE, I AM SOOOO GOING TO PUNCH THAT DUDE ALL THE WAY TO WARSAW AND BACK, LIKE TOTALLY!" She caught sight of Ivan and Natalya glaring at them from a distance. "BRAGINSKI, IMMA KILL YOU!" she shrieked. Maddie grabbed the back of her shirt with one hand to stop her from charging them.

Toris didn't know whether to be exasperated or amused by his friend. Maddie was chuckling quietly to herself.

"Hey, Felix, can you get my stuff from my locker and bring it down to the nurse's office?" Toris asked quietly, internally wincing at the volume of her voice. Lixie stopped fighting and saluted. "Like, you can totally count on me!" she exclaimed. Lixie gave Toris a one-armed hug. "Imma knock that dude into tomorrow...Aww, yeah, Braginski's gonna pay..." she ranted to herself as she headed off to carry out the quest Toris had sent her on.

When the remaining two reached the nurses office, Maddie did her best to explain, and then left for the office to fill out two bullying slips. The nurse, whom everyone called Ms. Kat because both her names were diffucult to pronounce, was shocked at this news. "Oh, I can't believe my precious Ivan would do this! He was always such a quiet, thoughtful child!" she exclaimed tearfully. "Ivan is your son?" Toris guessed. "No, he is my baby brother!" Ms. Kat replied, fumbling with a kit full of Band-aids. **(I don't own those. ^_^)** "I shall have a nice little chat with him today!" she declared, an angry expression taking over her normally either happy or crying face.

After fixing what she could, she told Toris that he might have to go to the hospital to get a real cast when Lixie burst in and hopped onto the empty space next to Toris, his neon orange bag swinging carelessly from her manicured fingers. "Hiya, buddy!" she exclaimed, ruffling Toris' hair. "You all fixed up?" Brushing strands of brown hair out of his eyes, he answered, "Almost."

Ms. Kat hung up the phone; she called his parents. "Okay, you mom will be here to pick you up, okay?" Lixie whined, "Awww, you get to leave?" Toris explained, "Felix, I have to go to the hospital and get a cast. My leg is broken."

"Seriously? I though, it was like, sprained, or something!" Lixie cried, poking his ankle. "Felix, that hurts!" Toris gasped as a shot of pain laced through him. "Ohmigosh, I'm, like, SO uber sorry, Toris!"

"It's alright," he said quietly. Toris smiled. Lixie was usually so shy around other people, so it was good to see her yelling at an intimidating person like Ivan for his own sake. Toris closed hie eyes and sighed. He was so tired.

Toris looked at Lixie on a sudden whim. Lixie was on her back, rocking back and forth with her legs in the air. "Wh-what are you doing? he exclaimed. Lixie stopped for a second. "I, like, have no idea," she giggled and continued rocking.

The intercom went off. Principal Rome's voice said in a formal way that was not his own, "Would Ivan Braginski, Gilbert Belichscmidt, and Elizabeta Hedevarity please come down to the front office? Thank you." **(Lol. Spelling fail. XD)**

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_With Maddie_

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Maddie stood by the principal nervously, wondering how she was going to pull this off. Principal Rome, whom everyone just called Grandpa Rome, couldn't tell Maddie's tension, but the vice princiapl, Mr. Germania, reassured her, "Don't worry, Madeline. You're doing the right thing." Maddie nodded, straining her smile. "Thank you, Mr. Germania."

The door to the office opened, revealing a silver-haired, red-eyed albino boy, his hands stuck in his pockets and slouching in the most nonchalant possible. "Whassup, Gramps?" Gil said. "Yo, Birdie." Maddie flushed. Crossing her arms across her chest, she whispered, "Don't call me that." Elizabeta and Ivan walked in next.

"Ivan, will you please wait in the hallway?" Grampa Rome said. It was scary for Maddie to be this close to the principal when he was like this; he's almost never angry. When he exited, Grandpa Rome said, "Do you two know why you're here?"

Gil made a sudden eye contact with Elizabeta. "Nope," he said.

He lied again.

Maddie shook her head. "Tell the truth, Gilbert," she commanded in a feirce voice. She added spitefully, "For once in your life."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Birdie."

"Yes, you do." Maddie could feel uncontrollable anger wash through her, and she took a deep breath. "If I didn't find out for myself, how much longer would you have led me on?"

"Lead you on? Wait, were we dating? Gosh, you're just so easy to forget about," Gil grinned. He knew he would pay dearly for his moment of fun, but he decided it was worth it.

Mr. Germania was furious. "Gilbert, you will show respect to women, or, so help me, I will-" Gilbert cut in. "Just because you're my actual Gramps doesn't mean you can push me around, old man," he inturrupted with a lazy roll of his crimson eyes. "And is that really a woman? I can't tell," he gestured to an infuriated Maddie.

Maddie glared at the two. "Permission to knock him into oblivion?" she asked Grandpa Rome with out turning. "Sorry, Maddie. That'd get us both in trouble." Maddie sighed. She would very much like to hit him.

Mr. Germania turned to Maddie. "He's being difficult. Would you like to leave?" Maddie nodded, hiding her eyes behind her bangs. "Thank you."

"Hey, while you're out, go get some self confidence. Maybe you'll be able to make friends," Gilbert called out to her retreating back. Maddie closed the door- she would've dearly loved to slam it- and walked to the bathroom where she locked herself into a stall. Curling up on the floor, Gil's harsh words echoed in her mind, and Maddie cried.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

_With Toris_

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"Hey, like, Ivan's gonna get what's coming to him!" Lixie said happily. "Cool," Toris said distractedly. He thought he saw Maddie walk past, and she didn't look alright. "Hey, Lixie- er, Felix, would you go make sure Maddie's okay?"

Lixie frowned at him, confused. "Like, who's Maddie?"

Toris facepalmed. How was it this easy to forget the girl? She wasn't invisible. "The girl who helped me." When he got another blank look, he sighed and said, "My girlfriend." Maddie wasn't his girlfriend, and most likely wasn't going to be, but Lixie wouldn't remember her any other way. Lixie grinned. "Oh, yeah, her." Smirking, she left to go find Maddie.

"Oh, Madeline is your girlfriend?" Ms. Kat asked happily. Toris blushed. "No, but Lixie has the attention span of a goldfish and isn't likely to remember her any other way." Ms. Kat smiled. "Whatever you say." Toris shook his head franticlly. "No, no, it's not like that! I promise!" Ms. Kat laughed. "I know. I'm just teasing you."

Toris smiled, relaxing.

Lixie came in leading a puffy-eyed Maddie by the hand. "Maddie! What happened?" Toris exclaimed. Maddie sat next to Toris, buried her face in his shoulder and cried. "It was something that albino _rat_ said," Lixie said, spitting out the word like it was posion. Maddie seemed to be focusing on her breathing. She took a few deep breaths and wiped her eyes. "H-he said I'm t-too easy t-to f-forget. Th-that n-no one c-can tell th-that I-I'm a girl. Th-that I sh-should f-find s-some s-self confidence a-and m-maybe p-people would w-want t-to be my f-friend."

Toris was shocked. Someone actually told that to someone as shy and lovable as Maddie? They must be crazy!

Toris gently brushed her bangs away from her wire-rimmed glasses. "We're your friends," he said kindly. "Yeah, like, totally! Don't listen to that totally un-awesome dude!" Lixie supplied.

Maddie choked out a mixture between a laugh and a sob and pulled both of them into a hug. A flash of light made the three of them jump. Ms. Kat took a picture.

"Ms. Kat, what are you doing?" Toris asked. She smiled and said, "The school needs to know about this! We should have an assembly, and then I can put this in a slide show so everyone can know how much bullying hurts! You two are so brave!"

The two shook their heads. They didn't want to be embarrassed in front of the whole school. "Can't you get pictures from somewhere else?" Maddie asked beseechingly. Ms. Kat shook her head. "No! It's much more heart-breaking when they see how terribly their fellow classmates have been treated right in front of them!"

Toris nodded in defeat. "I guess she's right..."

Lixie said, "Can you, like, edit me out?"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

**Crack pairings. Gotta love 'em. XD **

**So, again, if you need to talk to me, my PM box is always open! I don't bite, and I don't share what you said to anyone. Except for the voices in my head. **

**...Don't worry. **

**They're nice.**

**XD**

**Lol. I'm joking. **

**Yes, I called Fem!Poland Lixie. It sounds funny. :3**

**Yeah. I'm not actually trying to make CanLiet a pairing. I agree that it's uber weird. I don't like it either. XD It's funny, though. **

**What other crack pairings do you like? 030**

**Review, please!**


	3. Don't cut the flowers

**Helloooooo~~ Thanks to emmy3967, Quinn Fiberoptic, Any59, Shadow-Gaze14, ZeldaLove Akira-Chan, no name, and MysticDayze for reviewing! **

**So...I've been waiting to write this chapter. Bullying yourself is really a terrible way to be bullied. In the words of the band Skillet, "Do you know what it's like when you're not who you wanna be? Do you know what it's like to be your own worst enemy, who sees the things in me I can't hide? Do you know what it's like to wanna surrender?"**

Bullying yourself

The blade of the scissors runs across her wrist.

Too shallow.

She puts the blade in the indentation on her skin and slowly drags it across again.

No blood.

Getting frustrated, the girl lines up her weapon again, and swipes it roughly. She draws in a shaky gasp; blood.

The girl stares at the scarlet liquid mixing with the water from her shower, fascinated. Why is she interested in this?

Tears fog her vision as a peculiar voice in her head screams silent insults at her. _You pathetic emo! Why the heck would you do this, you sorry excuse for a girl?_

Why? Why was she pushed this far? Why would she do this to herself?

_Because it feels good,_ the voice gruffly answers. _Do it again._

The girl feel a hot tear slip out of her eye, mingling with the shower water. It does feel good. The pain is nice. She presses the scissors to her shoulder. She can feel the blade on her skin. Isn't that enough? Couldn't she be fixed?

Out of habit, a song quietly and hoarsely escapes the girl in her native language. "Laugh a little more, laugh while you still can. Pray a little more, pray while you still can. If you cannot hear me after all that..." She slashes open another thin cut on herself before singing the last verse. "End my life and say goodbye..."

Trembling, her fingers slide up, feeling the blood drenching her already soaking body. The soap on her hand touches the cut, and she recoils, hissing in pain. That hiss turns quickly to a muffled, broken sob as tears spill out of her eyes.

Does anyone ever hear her when she cries?

Someone knocks on the door. "Hey, Sakura," the girl hears her brother, Yao, call. "Don't use all the hot water."

Sakura clears her throat. "I won't."

There. A short, confident answer. He won't suspect a thing.

_But you want him to, you stupid attention-seeker._

Sakura turns off the water, squeezing stray drops out of her hair. The fog in the bathroom smells like her shampoo. Wrapping a towel around herself, she scampers out of the bathroom and into her own room, locking the door after herself. She pulls on her pajamas. Leaning over, Sakura puts the already wet towel on her head and massages it, drying it more. With a sigh, she plops onto her bed, slowly untangling the knots in her hair with a brush.

Looking at her wrist, Sakura notices the blood beginning to flow again. She stands up, her hairbrush tossed carelessly to the side, and runs to her desk, where a box of Band-aids sits in a hidden drawer. Treating her wounds, she checks the one on her shoulder, finding it to be in the same condition. She fixes that, too.

'Fix'...

What can really be fixed?

Can the twenty other cuts littering Sakura's arms and shoulders be fixed?

Can the shattered, corrupted heart of that young teenager be fixed?

_Almost as well as you can fix a ceramic jar that falls from the top of a skyscraper. _

Sakura grabs a handful of her wet hair in both of her fists. "Shut up..." she whispers to the voice.

_Make me._

Sighing, she picks up her trash and hides it in the bottom of her trash can. Then, she curls up into a ball under the covers of her bed and cries herself to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Sakura Honda walks next to Feli, a bouncy girl with ADHD and ADD. "...and then, _Fratello_ made pasta! I really like pasta, did you know that? Have I told you that? Oh, well, I do. I like to make pasta, because pasta is the best food in the world!" While the Italian girl skips along the hallway, surprisingly, she doesn't knock into anyone; it is surprising because she isn't looking where she's going. **[Brother]**

"Oiiiii, Luddy!" Feli suddenly shouts as she catches sight of her favorite German. The energetic girl waves furiously, accidently dropping her notebooks and pencil case in her haste to catch Ludwig's eye.

_Why can't you be friendly like Feli?_

Sakura says nothing to herself.

"_Hallo_, Feli," Ludwig greets her as she scrambles around on her hands and knees to retrieve her belongings. "_Hallo,_ Sakura."

"_Ohio gozaimasu,_ Ludwig," Sakura says quietly, bowing politely. **[Good Morning- formal]**

"You don't need to be so formal. It's just me," Ludwig says as he crouches down to pick up something Feli dropped.

"_Gomen._" **[I'm sorry- Informal]**

"Are you alright, Sakura? You look upset."

"What? No, I'm fine," the Japanese girl smoothly lies, crossing her fingers behind her back.

"_Gut," _Ludwig grunts. "Luuuuddy, sit with me at lunchtime!" Feli cries, having picked up all her supplies. "Sakura, you too!"

"Whatever you say, Feli-chan," Sakura replies, almost robotically. She pretends that she doesn't feel Ludwig's clear blue eyes staring at her, or hear the voice in her head screaming harsh insults at her.

Without another word, Sakura walks off to the auditorium for her drama class.

The girl sits on the last chair of the column in the first row, shivering. Sakura pulls the sleeves of her white sweatshirt over her hands, holding the openings shut with clenched fingers. She can feel the Band-aid move slightly when she flexes her wrists.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" someone asks. Looking up, Sakura sees Alfred's cousin...um...M-Maddie? Yes, that sounds right. "Yes, of course," Sakura replies with a smile.

_Fake. Stupid, pathetic, fake._

Sakura pulls on a strand of her hair in an attempt to keep the voice quiet. Now that she thinks about it, 'The voice' does seem like a redundant thing to keep calling it. Sakura finally dubs the voice as 'Yami', the Japanese word for darkness. It is an appropriate name for something so evil.

Is Yami what makes Sakura keep cutting, or does watching herself bleed truly bring pleasure to the fragile girl?

Maddie glances over at Sakura every few seconds; the girl is fretting over something. The Canadian would like to help, but asking may seem like she is trying to pry. Whatever she is worrying about can be kept to her until she decides to openly confess.

Mr. Johnson walks in from the prop room, carrying a box full of clothes. "Costumes!" he calls to the assembling class. The energetic girl, whom Sakura remembers to be called Sophie, squeals in delight. The drama class is doing their version of the Shakespeare play, Much Ado About Nothing. Sophie, Sakura thinks, is playing Don John, the villain of the play. Sakura is playing Hero, Don John's victim.

Curious, Sakura follows the crowd swarming Mr. Johnson. The quirky teacher tosses Sakura a light blue dress, and she catches the soft ball of fabric easily. Sakura holds the dress upright and notices how the shoulders are not concealed. The girl panics before simply deciding that she won't take her shirt off.

Sakura pulls the dress on over her normal clothes, being careful not to rip it. Her long-sleeved black shirt is extremely noticeable.

"Hey, Sakura," Mr. Johnson calls, tossing her another costume piece. Looking at it, she sees that it's a ruffled, white shirt. She nods in thanks to her teacher and puts it on over her dark shirt. It looks much better now.

"Hey, can you help me, please?" Maddie asks. Sakura hurries over to the Canadian and helps her button the back of her dress. "This is fun," Maddie remarks. Sakura has no objections to the statement; finally seeing what your character looks like on you are very entertaining. After some hesitation, Maddie asks, "Are you alright?"

Taken aback by the question, Sakura stumbles over her words before regaining her composure. "Wha- Oh. Yes, I am fine," she says.

_Dirty rotten liar._

"Are you sure? Y-you can talk to me, if you feel like it. Is anyone hurting you?"

"Hurting me?" Sakura laughs. "No, no. No one is hurting me."

'Except for Yami,' she thinks.

_At your service, milady._ Yami is mocking her.

"All actors on stage!" Mr. Johnson calls. "This is the wedding scene!"

Sakura has practiced this scene in her room many times, so she knows exactly what happens. Friar Francis tries to marry Hero and Claudio, but Don John has made Claudio and Don Pedro believe that Hero is a prostitute, so they get mad and disown Hero in front of everyone. Before the actors playing Claudio, Don John and Don Pedro exeunt, Sakura has to faint into the arms of Beatrice, whom is played by Maddie. Sophie, playing her role well, says, "Come, come. These lights see how they smother her spirits up." Then, the three go down the stairs and into the stage left wings.

"How does she fare?" Benedick asks. Maddie fakes panic. "Dead, I think! Help! Uncle! Signor Benedick! Friar! Help!"  
>Sakura can hear the remaining actors panic about, and she keeps her eyes shut, feigning unconsciousness. Someone says her cue to stir, and she does, sitting up after. She pretends to be distressed. Hero's fiancée had just told everyone that she was unclean, so Sakura pretends to feel that emotion.<p>

_Lousy emo chick._

Sakura hates that word, yet she knows that it fits her well.

The girl is so wrapped in thought that she almost misses her cue to exit; Leanato has decided to proclaim Hero as dead so no one can slander her anymore. This is Sakura's last scene until the very last one.

"Cut!" Mr. Johnson calls, appearing from the stairway. "It's time to go. Good job, everyone. If you leave with my costumes, I'll rip your arms off." Sakura fakes a chuckle as she removes the dress and the shirt. She puts her white sweatshirt on again after turning in the costumes, and turns to leave. She almost runs into the boy who plays Dogberry; Toris, she thinks his name is. "Oh, I am sorry!" she exclaims, moving out of his way; Toris has his leg in a green cast. Something had happened yesterday, and a few people were called down to the office at lunch time. Gilbert and Elizabeta, whom were both called down, returned. Gilbert was laughing loudly to his friends about how he had gotten away with only a few detentions. Elizabeta, on the other hand, seemed rather put out at the punishment. She had even yelled at Gilbert for a minute. The other boy who was called down, Ivan, did not return, and he is not here today. Sakura knows Ivan has issues, but was he the one who broke Toris' leg?

"Oh, it's alright," Toris dismisses. The long cut on his cheek moves when he smiles. The boy's arms are covered in bruises and scars, much like Sakura's, but the Japanese girl doesn't think that Toris did that to himself.

"Would you like some help?" Sakura asks as Toris tries to hold his binders and notebooks while keeping his balance on the crutches. Toris laughs embarrassedly. "Yes, please." Sakura cradles the boy's supplies as she watches him walk with the aid of the crutches. "Hey, Toris!" Maddie calls as she runs up to walk beside him. "How're feeling today?" Toris smiles. "I'm alright. It still hurts, though. What about you? You didn't let that jerk get to your head?" Maddie shakes her head. "Nope. My head is impenetrable now." Sakura walks awkwardly to the side.

_Why are you listening to their conversation? Can't you see that they're trying to forget you?_

Sakura lets the artificial smile slide off her lips as she pretends to be interested greatly in the posters the art class made. Toris' voice breaks her out of her trance. "You're really quiet," he remarks after Maddie left for the cafeteria. Sakura shrugs noncommittally. "I don't have much to say." She adds in her head,'...and I'm not sure how many people will listen.'

_No one will. No one likes you. You're alone._

Toris' limping slows. "That's my locker," he says, pointing with his chin to the one on the end. "Right," Sakura replies, stopping as he balances on one foot to open his locker. Sakura neatly replaces the binders and shuts the door for him. Toris sighs. "It's nice to be able to not worry that someone is going to slam the door on my fingers," he says. "Did Ivan do that to you?" Sakura asks.

_Stupid girl. That's his business. You have no right to be asking him personal questions._

"Yes," Toris says. "That's why he's not here now. I'm glad he's not. I really don't know what I did to make him hate me." Sakura smiles reassuringly. "I don't think it was you. I think Ivan has always been like that." Toris shakes his head. "Not according to Ms. Kat."

Unsure of what to say, Sakura bids Toris goodbye and sits at a table next to Feli, who is currently eating her favorite dish. Feli pauses long enough to give Sakura a one-armed hug. The girl allows Feli to eat, pulling out her sketchbook and doodling a bunny. Feli asks something through a mouthful of pasta that Sakura can't understand. "What was that, Feli-Chan?" The Italian swallows and asks, "Aren't you going to eat anything?"

"I ate something already. You just weren't looking," Sakura replies, feeling the usual pang of guilt at her complete and utter lie. Ludwig glares at her from across the table. "No you didn't." Sakura blushes and pretends to not have heard him as she continues drawing. In answer, Ludwig puts his plastic container of fruit in front of her, ordering, "Eat."

Sakura sighs to herself as she puts down her pencil and picks up a fork. She doesn't want them to worry about her.

_Not like they would, anyway._

Ludwig watches as Sakura opens the lid to the container of watermelon. The girl frowns, and stands up to go retrieve something. She returns to the table with several packets of salt and proceeds to dump them one by one on the fruit. Ludwig's nose wrinkles in disgust. "Well, if that's the way you choose to eat it..." The German doesn't eat until he has seen every bite disappear into Sakura's mouth. "When was the last time you ate?" he asks. "This morning. I had an _onigiri._" **[Rice ball]**

_Liar._

Suddenly, Alfred throws himself into the empty space next to Sakura. "Duuuuuude, Alice says that hamburgers are disgusting!" he whines. "You gotta come n' tell her that they're so delicious! C'mon!" He grabs Sakura's wrist, and she hides a gasp of pain. Alfred drags her over to where a British girl with rather large eyebrows sits, eating...something charred. "Alice, Sakura totally agrees with me!" Alfred says, throwing his arm around Sakura's shoulders. She hides another yelp as she nods enthusiastically while Alfred is watching. When the boy turns to Alice in triumph, she quickly shakes her head.

"I told you, you git! It's my opinion, and I can dislike any food that I please!" Alice says, throwing her...food?...at Alfred's head. It makes a loud _thunk!_ as it makes impact. "Ow! What the heck, those things are like hockey pucks!" he complains, rubbing the sore spot. "I don't know how you can eat this crap!" he says, picking up the object and hitting it against the table; it doesn't break. Alice flushes with rage. "What? That's a recipe passed down by my Mumsie, you bloody idiot!"

'This is food?' Sakura thinks as she eyes the black, rock-like object warily. "If that's all that you need me for, Alfred-Kun, I will be going back to Feli and Ludwig," Sakura says. She thinks she goes off unnoticed, but Alfred grabs her hand. "Nuuuuu! Come outside and talk to me, Sakura! You never talk to me anymore!" Alfred says while dragging the helpless girl outside, giving what Alice calls a scone a disgusted look as he passed.

Once they are outside, Alfred grabs both of her wrists and dances around in a circle, making Sakura do the same. An accidental cry of pain escapes Sakura's lips as she jerks her hands away. Alfred stops dancing. "Dude, what's wrong with your hand?" Sakura frantically shakes her head. "Nothing. It is nothing." Alfred frowns and then smiles. "Lemme see! Imma be your hero!"

Sakura shakes her head again, pulling her arms closer. She decides to change the subject. "So, what would you like to talk about?" Alfred frowns again. "I wanna talk about what's wrong with your arms." Without waiting for her consent, Alfred grabs Sakura's left hand and pushes up her sleeve.

Sakura gasps and rolls it quickly back down, but the damage is already done. "Sakura," Alfred says in a low, serious voice that he almost never uses. "What happened?" Sakura ducks her head. "Nothing. It was an accident."

_Liar. Tell him the truth. Maybe he'll hate you._

"'An accident'? How do you 'accidently' cut yourself way up there?" Alfred's voice grows slightly as the words escape him, causing Sakura to tremble. "Please do not be angry with me." Seeing her fear at being yelled at, Alfred calms his voice and asks again, "What happened?"

Sakura closed her eyes; she couldn't explain it. There is nothing wrong with her life, and she doesn't know why she would do this to herself. "Yami," she whispers, keeping her eyes shut. "Yami?" Alfred repeats. "Who's that?" Sakura shrugs. "Nobody." This is not a lie; Yami is just there. She's not a person, but she's still there to torment Sakura. "She is imaginary."

"Your imaginary friend makes you hurt yourself?"

Sakura sighs impatiently. "It is difficult to explain."

"Try me."

"Do you ever hear a voice in your head that points out everything you do wrong and makes fun of you for it?"

Alfred thinks for a minute. "Yeah, I guess I do. I don't pay much attention to it, though."

"I named my voice Yami because she is dark. Everything that I do seems unnessicary, and Yami makes me feel bad about it," Sakura tries to explain. "I know that I am over-reacting to a problem with a simple fix."

"No, it's alright," Alfred says. "Everyone over-reacts once in a while. But this, the cutting yourself thing, isn't good, okay? Please, please, please don't do it again," he begs, wrapping the girl in a hug. "You're my friend, Sakura. I hate to see you like this."

Before she knows it, Sakura is crying. Alfred leads her to a picnic table, where she is now sobbing into his jacket. Alfred strokes her hair, letting his deep breaths calm the girl. Slowly, Sakura's ragged gasps slow down as she matches her breathing to the American's. She rubs any stray tears away from her eyes. "I am so sorry for this, Alfred."

"No, it's all cool. You've needed to do that for a while. I can tell," Alfred smiles, patting her on the head. Sakura looks up into Alfred's turquoise eyes. "Please don't tell anyone," she pleads, panic seeping into her voice. "I won't. Hero's promise," he declares, drawing an invisible 'X' over his heart to prove his point. "Am I your hero?" Sakura lets out a shaky laugh. "Yes. You are my hero."

Alfred's face turns solemn. "Lemme set some things straight, though. Number one," he holds up one finger. "No hurting yourself. That's bad. Number two," Two fingers. "Don't starve yourself. Also bad. Yes, I saw you not eating. Number three," Three fingers. "Talk to me. I wanna know how you're feeling, Sakura. I wanna be able to stop you when you're about to do something as stupid as that," he gestures to her arms. "Oh, c'mere." he pulls up Sakura's sleeve again and withdraws a black marker. Alfred spends a few minutes drawing little flowers in between the cuts of varying shapes and age. "Please don't cut the flowers."

**:3 I know, you guys are mad for not making it USUK. I like USUK better, but AmeriPan is just so cute, I couldn't help myself. I fangirl-squeed when I wrote the ending. :3**

**If any of you are cutting yourself, please please please please please stop. Please. **

**Have I said please yet? No? How rude of me. PLEASE! IT'S NOT WORTH IT! PLEAAAAASE. I know, sometimes it feels good, but it really really really isn't worth it. You are so much better than that. Please please please please please. Please. **

**I love you all! :3 *blows kisses***


	4. False reputations

**Hey! Sorry for the late update. Thanks to for reviewing! :3 You all are awesome. Like, PRUSSIAN awesome. XD**

**...**

**...**

**...**

**Oh gosh...**

**...This topic is gonna be really awkward for me to write about... **

**I SWEAR, I'M NOT A PERVERT FOR WRITING THIS. THIS IS JUST ANOTHER FORM OF BULLYING THAT YOU SHOULD ALL KNOW ABOUT. I'LL TRY NOT TO BE TOO GRAPHIC. =~=**

**WISH ME LUCK.**

Sexual harrassment

"Feli, slow down!" Lovina calls to her bouncy sister, hurrying to catch up. "Aww, come on, Lovi!" Feli shouts back, skipping backwards. "We're gonna be late if you keep dragging your feet!"

Lovina scowls at her, watching the long ponytail of Feli's auburn hair swish around. She doesn't want to go to the stupid party. She really doesn't. The only reason she is going is to protect Feli from that potato-eating maniac, whom she refuses to stop being friends with. Lovina doesn't know why she hates the German so much; it's probably the resemblance between him and another blond-haired, blue-eyed boy that Feli knew when she was a kid. He broke her heart. Unintentionally, yes, but still. He promised her that he'd come back, and he didn't.

A cool breeze blows Lovina's hair back. Feli had insisted in doing something fancy with it other than keeping it down like she usually does. So, Lovina had let Feli insert a green headband in her dark brown hair, holding her bangs away from her face. The headband matches the dress that Feli also made Lovina wear.

If there is one thing that Lovina can't stand more that potatoes, it's dresses. They just make her feel so vunerable. She hates feeling weak. Lovina would have been made the captian of the girls' kickboxing team if she didn't refuse due to the loathing of team sports.

Lovina holds her arms closer to herself as they near their destionation. Not from the cold, but from the fear of looking weak in front of the entire tenth grade, including a few eleventh graders, like the 'Bad Touch Trio'. Yes, this party is none other than the annual party of Alfred Jones, the head of the football team and most popular person in the school. Everyone is going to be there, including shy, quiet Sakura Honda and snobby Alice Kirkland. The leaves rustle in the wind, and a few flowers fall to the ground; Alfred planted a cherry blossom tree in his front yard, just like they do in Washington D.C..

Feli bounces up to the door and knocks on it, stepping back a step to wait with Lovina after she did so. The door is opened, and Alfred himself stands to greet them. "Hey, dudettes! Glad you could make it!" he says in his loud voice, his teeth white and perfect. Everything about Alfred's appearance is perfect; his eyes, his nose, his smile. The only thing that isn't is his eyesight, which is improved by wire-rimmed glasses. Every girl, minus Lovina, who thinks boys are overrated, swoons over him, and now seem to hate Sakura for getting closer to him; a lot of people saw the Japanese girl crying in Alfred's arms the other day at lunch, but Alfred glared at everybody to keep their distance. Now, there are rumors flying around that the two are dating. Everyone at the party is just dying to know the details about their relationship. Of course, everyone but Lovina, who just wanted this evening to be over with. "Thanks, Alfred!" Feli chirps. Lovina mutters a thank you and enters after Feli.

At once, an explosion of blinding lights, deafening music, and bodies squeezed close together greets the two. Feli loves it; finally, people weren't afraid to dance like she does! Lovina, on the other hand, considers this as a total sensory assult. Too many people. Too many lights. No, Lovina isn't enjoying herself at all.

Feli starts to dance away, sliding easily in between the people, closer to the large speakers. "Hey! Get back over here!" Lovina calls, but her voice is lost in the volume of the pounding music.

"_I'm feeling sexy and free-e-ee! Like glitter's raining on me. You're like a shot of pure go-old! I think I'm 'bout to explode!..."_ **(Domino by Jessie J. I don't own that. :3)**The stereo blasts out the song, and the vast amount of people jump to the beat. Is this what people call music these days? Ugh. Lovina needs to get Feli out of here and back home before her young, innocent mind is corrupted. So, she has no choice but to shove the people out of her way. Perfume and cologne mix in the air, adding another unpleasant sensation to Lovina's list of why she should never go to parties.

"Feli, where are you?" Lovina calls, sweat starting to run down her face. The temprature in here is also uncomfortable due to the overwhelming amount of people. Her head whips back and forth, panic seizing her. Lovina hasn't been to a party this terrible before, and she hasn't had a panic attack as bad as this for a long time; the last time was when Feli accidentally wandered off into the streets, where their family found her crying an hour later.

"Lovi!" a voice peeps happily. "_Dios mio_, you look amazing, my little _tomate!_" **(My gosh and tomato, I think...I'm not too good at Spanish...:3)** Oh, no. Only one person calls her Lovi other than Feli. And that person is the exact person that she does NOT want to see when she's panicking and in a stupid flimsy dress. Lovina decides to take the safe path and pretend to not hear the annoying Spaniard. A pair of arms wrap around her. Lovina struggles wildly, trying to remove Antonio's arms. "Chigi! Get OFF, tomato-jerk!" she shrieks as she shoves him away. Antonio laughs and pulls himself away, holding his arms up in a gesture of surrender. Then he stops smiling, noticing Lovina's bloodshot eyes and her heavily inflating chest. "Lovi, are you alright?" he asks, moving closer to try to calm her. "How many times have I told you not to call me that?" Lovina growls, pushing him away again, ignoring his question. "Alright! Should I call you Lovina, Lo-lo, Vina, or Na?" he asks, innocent curiosity apparant on his tan face. "Lovina," she cooly replies, turning to walk away. "Noooooo, Lovi!...Na! Come and dance with me!" Antonio chirps, taking her hand. Lovina jerks it away. "Leave alone, tomato-jerk!" she cries, shoving people out of her way.

"_Rock my world until the sunlight! Make this dream the best I've ever known! Dirty dancin' in the moonlight! Take me down, like I'm a domino!"_ Jessie J sings through the speakers. How can Feli _stand_ this?

Another pair of arms wrap around Lovina's waist, and a head is rested on her shoulder. Too close! she thinks. "_Bonjour, _Lovina, _cherie_."** (Hello, dear.)** "Francis, get off!" Lovina shrieks, fighting. "Aww, don't be like that!" Francis coos into her ear, tightening his grip. The song changes to 'Moves like Jagger' by Maroon Five. "Ahh..." Francis sighs, forcing Lovina to dance with him. "And it goes like this...ah, take me by the tounge and I know you...ah, kiss me 'till you're drunk and I'll show, you are the moves like Jagger, I got the moves like Jagger, I got the mo-oo-OO-oo-oves like Jagger," Francis seductively sings to the punching Italian. "You know, _amour,_ this song does make me feel a little.. wild...doesn't it, to you?" .

"OVER MY FREAKING DEAD BODY!" Lovina screams, knowing too well what he's talking about; Francis has a reputation for being a...ladies' man. Whether the girls like it or not. Lovina is less than enthuastic about being his next victim. Unfortunatly, her screams are muffled by the fabric of the Frenchman's shirt. Lovina feels him start to guide her out of the room. She panics even more, but her struggles are all in vain. All too soon, Francis finds a vacant room in Alfred's house. He locks the door after he drags Lovina into the room. Quickly, Lovina tries to locate a window, a vent large enough to fit her, anything. But, there is no such luck for the girl. "Help! Anyone!" she cries. Francis chuckes. "Soundproof walls, _cherie_," he says, pulling her close with a maniac expression.

"Get away!" she shrieks, but he presses his slimy, disgusting lips against hers, cutting off her screams. She yanks on a fistful of his long hair, but stupid Francis only takes this as a sign of passion, willingness to what he is doing. Lovina feels his hands run over her body, starting at her waist, creeping slowly up. He pushes her onto the bed, and Lovina moves the pillow between them, over her mouth so Francis won't attempt to kiss her again. "Lovina, that's no way to be," he murmurs creepily, pulling the pillow away. Francis ties her hands to the bedpost with a long piece of fabric that he tore from the curtian. Great. He's raping her, and he now owes the Jones family a new curtain. Francis disappears for a moment and the lights turn off. "Our love is secret, _mon amour..._" he whispers from across the room. His voice gets closer with every word. "No! Please! No!" Lovina whimpers, struggling. She feels Francis crawl on the bed, on top of her. "Please! Stop!" she begs, trying desperatly to get away.

Francis kisses her neck, moving his lips up, closer to hers. Lovina bites her upper lip, tears beginning to fall. This is too much, far too much for poor Lovina. The pitch black, the unwanted body, her mounting panic. Francis runs his fingers through Lovina's hair, taking out the green headband. Then his hands travel down until he's groping her chest.

**(AN: Okay, I feel like a massive pervert right now. It's creeping me out. D: FRANCIS, Y U SUCH A RAPIST?)**

Someone knocks on the door. "Lovi? Are you in here, Lovi?" Antonio calls. Happiness and relief flows through Lovina. This is the only moment that she admits to be happy in knowing the tomato-jerk is near. "ANTON-" Francis slams his hand down on Lovina's mouth, cutting off her scream. "Everything is fine, Toni," he yells back. "Francis? Why is the door locked? Is Lovi in there?" Antonio asks. "No reason. No, Lovina isn't here. Have you checked the bathroom?" he smoothly lies. "Yes, and she's not there! I heard her in there, Francis, let me in!" Antonio cries, pounding on the door. "I told you, Toni, she's not here!" Francis says. Lovina bites his hand hard, and he withdraws, howling. "ANTONIO! HELP!" she screams, thrashing against the torn strand of curtain-restraint.

"Lovi! You are in here! Hold on, my little tomato, I'm coming!" he says, and then he pounds on the door with all his force, trying to break it off his hinges. Francis tiptoes to the door and rips it open as Antonio runs at it to ram it again, causing him to fall face-first on the floor. Francis runs out and vanishes into the crowd.

Antonio picks himself off the floor and spits a dust bunny on the carpet. "You idiot! Get over here and help me already!" Lovina shrieks, struggling with the fabric again. Antonio jumps to his feet and flicks on the lights, taking in the surroundings. There, on the wrinkled bed, is Lovina laying helpless, her wrists tied to the bedpost, tears streaming down her face. He then wastes no time leaping over to her and untying her. When she is free, Lovina jumps on him in a hug. "You idiot! I was so freaking scared! Why didn't you come rescue me sooner?" she sobs into his chest. "I was so scared!" she moans again, clutching his shirt. Antonio pats her back. "Shh...it's okay, Lovi...na...It's over now...you're okay, I've got you...Toni's got you..."

Soon, Lovina realizes that she's actually letting Antonio hug her. And...she's kind of enjoying it. No matter how oblivious the tomato-freak is, his heart's in the right place, and he is a very exellent shoulder to cry on. Wait, is she crying? No, no weakness. Stop it. Stop.

But no matter how much Lovina doesn't like it, she has to accept the fact that she's crying without pause. It's not like a few eye-tears that you get when you accidentally stub your toe; no, this is the crying that makes your nose runny, your face a deep scarlet, and leaves your eyes bloodshot and puffy for hours afterwards, and this type of crying is, undoubtedly, embarrassing. It's mortifying when the person that you despise for so long sees you when you're at an all-time low, but it's all worth it when you realize that he wants to be there to help you through rough times.

Soon, Lovina calms down and just sits there on the edge of the bed, shaking in Antonio's arms. He strokes her hair, smoothing the frizzed parts back with his hands. Now, Lovina truly sees how gentle he is. Usually, he's just so clueless, it's hard to imagine him ever holding a person so tenderly. Finally, Lovina whispers, "Thank you, Antonio." He laughs and gives her a squeeze. "It's okay, Lovi...na. Lovina," he corrects. After some thought, Lovina shows a bit of her normally grouchy self. "...I _guess_ I could _tolerate_ you calling me Lovi...But it's _only_ because you saved me from that rapist Frenchie," she says, spitting out a few words while holding others. "Got it?"

Antonio laughs, and Lovina hears how melodious the sound is for the first time. Wait...Is she really thinking what she thinks she's thinking? Antonio is a guy. Guys are bad, as exampled a few minutes ago by the creepy Frenchman. But, as exampled by the sweet, yet totally clueless Spanaird, guys aren't all bad; if a girl came and tried to stop Francis, he might've raped the both of them. So...the conclusion is that not all guys are bad?

"Yo! Toni, hey. You finally got Lovi?" an obnoxiosly loud voice calls. The annoying, self-proclaimed 'awesome' albino stands in the doorway, leering at Lovina. She takes off her high-heels (Feli also made Lovina wear these) and chucks them full-speed at him; one hits him in the stomach, and the other in the groin. Antonio says, "No, Gil, I didn't 'get' her. She's had a bad night, so please go away."

Yeah...not all guys are bad...

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Eventually, Antonio coaxes Lovina out of the room to go continue looking for Feli. They find her outside, under the cherry blossom tree, holding hands with Ludwig. Antonio 'Awwwww's and says, "Good for you, Feli! Here's a tomato!" while handing the girl the red fruit that he picked up off the snack table. Lovina wonders why Alfred put tomatoes on a snack table while trying beating the crap out of Ludwig. Feli chews the tomato contendedly, notices that Lovina is trying to hit Ludwig, and then circles them in rapid, worried circles. Ludwig gives the panicking Feli a strange look while holding Lovina back with one hand. Lovina flails her fists, yelling in Italian. Antonio stands in the background, wondering what she's doing.

Finally, Lovina backs down, snorting, "Stay away from my _sorella_." **(Sister) **"_Ja, ja._ Whatever you say," Ludwig carelessly replies.**(Yes, yes)** Feli pecks him on the cheeks, chirping, "Bye, Luddy!" Lovina glares at him and yanks Feli away, towards the direction of their house, which is just down the road, when angry voices come from behind.

"YOU- YOU- YOU _PERVERT! _ YOU _RAPIST!_" a voice screams. The crowd backs away from the person and his victim, whom he is shaking by the collar. Antonio, shaking his friend. Shaking Francis. Lovina has never seen Antonio so angry, and it scares her a little. "HOW _DARE_ YOU?" Antonio shrieks, giving Francis another shake. He then hisses something in Francis' ear that Lovina can't hear. Alfred comes from the crowd. "Hey, break it up, break it _up!_" he yells. "What's going on?"

Antonio doesn't release Francis, but he looks at Alfred with furious eyes. "Where's your phone?" he asks with such intensity that it makes even Alfred shrink back a little.

"Right here, why?" Alfred asks, drawing a cell phone from his pocket. "Call 9-1-1," Antonio demends. "What did he do?" the American asks, blinking his eyes behind his glasses. Antonio alternates glares at the crowd around him, then mumbles the crime to Alfred so no one else can hear. When he finishes, Alfred looks back at Lovina, concern in his eyes. He seems to notice the red circles around her eyes which indicate tears for the first time. "You wanna press charges?" he asks. Lovina glances at Francis, who looks back beseechingly. Just a while ago, Francis had attacked her. Assulted her. He would've taken away her virginity, had Antonio not stepped in. He should pay.

"No," she says, shaking her head. Antonio is surprised; this is most unlike her. But, if that's what she wants...

He relinquishes his grasp on Francis, who then goes over to Lovina to thank her, but Antonio grabs the back of his shirt and shoves him roughly away. "Leave her alone. If I see you near her ever again, I will grind you to a pulp," he threatens. "C'mon, Lovi," he says, putting an arm around her shoulder, walking with her to her house. Lovina feels a twinge of annoyance when Ludwig walks hand-in-hand with Feli behind them. She pretends to not feel the stares of everyone on her back. One careless guy cries, "Finally!" while applauding.

Not all guys are as considerate as Antonio.

Antonio stops Lovina before she walks in. "Why didn't you want to press charges?" Lovina shrugs. "I know, this seems...not like me. But doesn't everyone deserve a chance to redeem themselves? He is too young to be in jail," she says. "I know, but you're too young to be...not a virgin," he says. "I stand by my decision, tomato-jerk," Lovina says while rolling her eyes. "Goodnight, Antonio. And...thanks again." Antonio waves. "_De nada, _Lovi. Sleep tight." **(You're welcome)**

Lovina goes in the house, and Antonio begins to walk back towards Alfred's house. If there's one thing he's sure of, it's that Lovi isn't as heartless and sarcastic as everyone describes her.

**X3 SPAMANNOOOOOOOOO! XD I love SpaMano. **

**Not to toot my own horn, but I'm really proud of the paragraph that describes the crying and how embarrassing it is. Like, really. I think it's my best paragraph evar. :3**

**So...that was really awkward to type. I got it all done in one day so I didn't have to continue it tomorrow. ^_^**

**I like what I did with the reputations of Roma and Spain vs. how they really are. It adds fluffiness to the story. One can never have too much fluff. :3 **

**So, I'm not sure if anyone out there has been raped/ nearly raped, and neither have I, but I bet it's a really tramuatizing experience. *shudders* Some people's minds are sick and twisted.**

**...Yes, mine is too, but I mean like in the way that makes you want to rape a person. Mine's not rapist-y twisted. Mine's just twisted as in loopy. Loooooopy. Loopy loopy loopyyyyyyy...that's a funny word. Looooooooooooopyyyyyyyyyyyyy...Seriously, say it out loud! LOOOOOOP-EEEEEEEEEE...**

**Kay, shutting up now. :3**

**How 'bout some reviews? **


	5. You're better than this

**Hey, I'm alive! /Shot for late update/ Thank you to all the people who reviewed! *Tried to tell who reviewed since I posted the last chapter but epically failed* I really appreciate the time you spend reviewing this! You can get Switzie to shoot me after you read what I'mma write, because I know that a lot of you have been through this. **

**To all the cyber bullies out there, WHAT THE FREAKING MAPLE IS WRONG WITH YOU? WHY DO YOU SEEK PLEASURE IN TELLING PEOPLE THAT YOU HATE WHAT THEY WRITE? I don't care if it was the worst story that you've ever read, being rude about it is absolutely cruel and unnessiccary. Imagine this: You spend hours, writing your heart out, and someone tells you that it's terrible. You've TRIED to be up to par, but someone told you that it was all a waste of time. How do you feel? Pretty bad, right? How many people have you done that to, and to what magnitude? And WHY? Is it a hard past? Is it insecurities? I have my share of those, believe me, but I know what it's like to be on the recieving end of those flames. It hurts. If you feel like you need to flame other people's stories, please don't. **

**I hope this makes an impact. **

Cyber bullying

"Oh, what do you know about how my cooking is?" Alice Kirkland shouts in Alfred F. Jones's face. "You've never bothered to taste!" Alfred scoffs. "Yes. I did. Once. Remember that one night where I went to the hospital with food poisoning, and they asked me what I ate and I-" Alice cuts him off. "Arg! You're insufferable!" This outburst, however, only brings a chuckle out from Alfred. "I'm glad you're my friend, too, Allie."

"Don't call me that, git!" Alice exclaims, picking up her messenger bag and storming out of the cafeteria. She almost bowls over Sakura Honda, her close friend, in her rage. Sakura only laughs quietly when she sees Alice's furious expression, knowing that this happens often. "I assume Alfred-kun is in here?" Alice nods, words escaping her. "I will see you later, then?"

"Yes, Sakura. Goodbye for now," Alice says distractedly, breaking momentarily from her fury. Sakura smiles and walks into the room that Alice just left. Alice walks home and flops on the couch, exausted from today at school. She had kept things in order and learned a lot, although she did get rather upset for no reason when her history class started studying the Revolutionary War.

Sighing, the British girl reluctantly gets up and walks in her room. She pauses and looks in the mirror. Same as always- long blonde hair pulled into dual pigtails, emerald-green eyes peering from behind wire-rimmed reading spectacles, and her stern expression. Slowly, she relaxes her facial muscles. With no emotion on her face, Alice looks like a different person. A smile makes her features unrecognizable. _Now all I need is a friendly personality, and maybe more people will talk to me_, she thinks.

Alice settles on her bed, kicking off her shoes; she would put them away later. She opens her laptop and logs in, then pulls up a writing website. (**o3o the website that shall not be named~~~ O.o VOLDEMORT-DOT-COM? XD I couldn't resist. I don't own Harry Potter.) ** Alice's pen name is 'Phantom'. **(IDK if there really is anyone out there with that pen name, but I couldn't think of anything else! :U) **The pen name makes sense, considering that she doesn't private-message anyone, she doesn't review anyone else's story, although she does read them, and she doesn't add author's notes to any of her stories, giving the illusion that she is there, but not there. A ghost. A phantom.

Alice has been recently working on a story, and a very excellent one, if she does say so herself. The heroine is just trying to escape the horrors of a maze in which she is imprisoned. Terrible monsters chase her through it, and it seems like they are invincible. But, one day, on accident, she impales one, a human-sized one with red eyes and black fur, with a sharpened stick, and it dies. Enlightened with this new discovery, she tries to kill another one, but this one talks. Alice finished the last chapter with the monster begging the heroine not to kill him. (**This is up for adoption, if anyone wants to try it. :3)**

Alice notices that she has another review on her story, so she clicks on the orange word to view it. As it loads, she can't help but feel slightly proud that someone wanted to acknowledge her work. A smile in her face, she reads the review, but her grin fades the more the words meet her eyes.

OMG SHES SUCH A MARY-SUE just STOP WRTIN Ur no good at it and ur only scarin us i hate ths go kill urslf u suck 

"Oh..."

_Wha-? Who is this?_ Alice thinks. She reads the flame again and again, more hurt filling inside her each time.

go kill urself ... Go kill yourself...Who would want to inflict such pain on someone they don't know based on how they write? Why do they want Alice to die?

If only this person knows that writing is the only way for Alice to keep herself together...

Alice's eyes flicker to a pair of sharp scissors on her dresser. _No. No. I'm not going to. I'm not. That's no longer an option. One person isn't going to break me. One person isn't going to make me break my promise. _ Hastily, Alice presses the exit button on the screen, closing the insult. Annoyance flows through her when she realizes that tears are prickling in the corner of her eyes. _I need something to distract me..._ she thinks as she opens a new internet tab. Alice goes to Face book and logs in. **I NO OWN.**

She lets herself be amused by the sorts of drama that the other girls her age cause. Suddenly, a notification pops up.

Stephenie Hula has tagged you in a video **Not a character. Just a random mean girl. **

Curious, Alice clicks on the link. omigosh, _Alice Kirkland_ is a total freakshow! look at her in history!  Alice hesitates, then presses play on the video link.

"Alice, Alice, calm down! It's only the Revolutionary War, not the death of everything you know and love!" the teacher cries, trying to calm a girl with long pigtails. The camera shakes as the person recording laughs. The disraught girl shakes her head. "My country lost this war! You should all be British!" The class screams with mirth, mocking her. 

Alice presses stop, not wanting to see the rest of the five-minute-long video of her making a complete fool of herself. More notifications pop up as more people post cruel comments on the video and on her wall.

lol, ur soo stupid alice

dude if u luv england so much then gtfo off america

Hey i can be britsh to! favourite grey colour scones and tea lets all go meet the bloody queen of jolly old england! XD ;*

More and more similar comments show up all over the website. Alice glares at the screen. If looks could kill, her laptop would certainly be dead. Again, she glances at the scissors on her desk. _Maybe just one cut... _Alice walks over to the weapon and picks it up. With a shock, she realizes what she is about to do. _No. No. I'm not going to break my promise. Who gives a flying mint bunny's hind leg about what those bloody gits think, anyway? Not me!_

But even as those words floated around her mind, something wet fell on her hand, which still encased the two blades. A tear drop. _No. I don't care. I don't care about what they think. I don't. I don't care._ Tears continue to fall on her shaking hand, the scissors, and the desk as she sobs harder. _I don't care. I don't care. I don't care. _

_I...I do care...It hurts..._

It hurts that these people hate her so much. It hurts. It hurts so bad. Perhaps she can make her physical pain greater than her emotional pain...

_No. Please. I don't want to..._

Alice holds up the scissors with trembling hands, staring at the blades compressed together. It takes all her willpower to open her fingers. The scissors fall with a clatter on the desk, then they skitter over the edge and behind. Alice stares at the place where they vanished. After a while, she sits back down on her bed and opens a document with her virtual diary on it. Her fingers, still shaking from her tears and her attempt at cutting, make it difficult to type.

Date: I don't care

Time: I don't care

What's bloody wrong with me? What's bloody wrong with everyone else? I almost cut myself only thing that kept me from doing it was my promise to Peter...Even though I brush him off like he's nothing, he cares about me. He saw my scars, and he made me promise not to do it again. He said as long as I never cut again, he wouldn't tell Mum. I don't deserve a little brother like him. I'm a bloody monster...

"Alice...?" a voice from the door says. "What's wrong?" Alice jumps. "Nothing, Peter. N-nothing," she says, hastily running her sleeve under her eyes to rid it of tears. "You're crying, Alice, tell me," Peter says, walking closer. "I am not," Alice says in a dignified voice. Peter gives a small giggle that fades quickly. "I can see you," he says. "Please, tell me..."

Alice shakes her head, staring out the window at a robin, which takes off a few seconds later. Peter sits next to her on her bed and puts his arm around her. "Did you-" Alice cuts him off. "No. But I almost did." Alice notices how small and weak her voice sounds. Peter doesn't respond for a few seconds. "...Does it help?" Alice turns to him, her expression furious. "Peter Kirkland, don't you _dare_ go and make the same idiotic mistake I did, am I clear?" Peter shakes his head firmly. "I'm not! I'm not!" he promises hastily. "But does it help you?"

"_No!_ It's terrible, and vile, and embarrassing, and I _hate_ it! I _hate_ that I was ever pushed to such a _disgraceful_ coping method!" Alice exclaims, realizing that she is again in tears. "Then why do you feel like you need to?" Alice can't bring herself to respond, seeing as she chokes on air as Peter asks this. When has he gotten so mature? "I don't know! I don't know!" she sobs, clutching the sheets on her bed, letting her bangs fall over her eyes. She can feel it sticking to her wet face.

Peter solemnly waits for Alice to cry herself out, occasionally patting her back in an attempt of comfort. "I do-n't w-want to be af-fraid that I'll hurt myself, Peter..." she whimpers. "I know...It's okay, Alice..." he whispers, hugging her. "Wh-why are you so k-kind to me? I'm an awf-ful ex-cuse for a sister..."

"You may be an old hag on the outside, sis, but I've seen the beauty inside you...I've seen you at your lowest, and that's when you're really you. You can hide it all you wish, Alice, but the real you isn't awful at all," he says gently.

Alice snorts. "It's not fair..." she complains. "What's not fair, Alice?" Peter asks. "It's my job to be mature," Alice grumpily responds. Peter only laughs.

After a while, Peter gets up and gropes behind Alice's desk, withdrawing out a pait of scissors. Alice recoils slightly. Oblivious to this, Peter picks up a roll of tape, also off of the desk. He takes the time to wrap the tape around the closed blades until there's no possible way to break them apart with bare hands. "Never again, okay?" Alice nods mutely, hiding her eyes behind her bangs again. When she looks up again, Peter is writing something on the tape with a black Sharpie. **I no own. **

He smiles one more time and leaves. _Mysterious of him..._ Alice thinks. Curiously, Alice walks over to the closed scissors. She smiles at the words written by her twelve-year-old gentleman of a brother.

You're better than this.

**:3 That took longer than I thought. And it's too short for my liking. -_- Grr. **

**So, whether you're flaming people or just dissing them on Face book, it's cyber bullying. I don't care if it's just critisim, it hurts a person, more than you would think. **

**So, I'm not afraid of flamers. Go right ahead. But I hope you have a good reason. It's not okay to tell someone that you hate their story. If you hate it, the polite thing to do is leave it alone. You don't have to tell them that you don't like it. **

**On the happier note, I have new socks on. :3 o3o *whispers* and they don't match! =w= lol, I'm such a rebel, I have two different colored socks on. o3o :3**


	6. Going against the flow

**Heyyyy! A bit quicker with the update. I think. :3 **

**So, here are the people who I think reviewed since I posted the fifth chapter...**

**EnharmonicAngel: I know, right? =~=**

**Rose Thourn: My point exactly! It hurts, a lot. Socks. :3 **

**September Samstar: *blushes* Thank you!**

**InsanityAintOptional: You're welcome! **

**evilbookfairy666: You don't know how happy it makes me to know that I made your day better. Like, seriously. **

**Quinn Fiberoptic: -_- Some people are just freaking retards. Thank you!**

**animerockchic: Yeah, it sounds like a good idea! It's happened to me, more than once. Not usually intentionally, but I just feel ignored. So, maybe I'll do that with Sealand, or something. :3**

**caset290: Yeah, me too. When I get a flame, it's like, "Oh...okay...*hangs head* " o3o **

**MysticDayze: Thanks. Just kidding, that would be a pathetic excuse for acknowledging a review! I laughed out loud when I read that. :3 Literally. **

**ZeldaLove Akira-Chan: Ahhhhhhhhh! *is hugged* You're welcome! *has daydream* I'M THE HERO~~~ XD Lol, not really. **

**Thank you to everyone for reviewing! **

**...so...**

**Yeah...**

**...Mmhmm. I'm bored. **

**This is how my first day off of school went: **

***sleep in* **

***Eat breakfast***

***sit at computer* **

***siggggghhhhh***

**"...Now what?... "**

**Yup. True story. Uh-huh. o3o **

***checks today's topic* Wow. Double whammy today. Standing by both physical and verbal bullying. Ouch. **

**So, yeah. I'll shut up now. :3**

By standing- Physical and Verbal

"Lilli, I don't want you to stay there for too long, okay? Right when it ends, I want you to come straight home, got it?" Vash Zwingli says to his younger sister. "Yes, Vash," she replies, repositioning her backpack on her small shoulders. "And you don't have to worry about me that much. It's only art club. Worst comes to worst, I'll come home covered in paint," she reassures. Lilli giggles slightly at the thought. Upon seeing her smile, Vash softens. "All right. But you come straight home. Preferably not covered in paint." The two share a laugh as the number of people in the halls wane. "Remember: no talking to people you don't know. Don't take part in any drama. Call me when you're on your way home. And stay safe." Lilli hugs Vash. "I'll be fine. Go home and relax a little bit." Vash is startled by the sudden embrace, but hugs her back. "Remember, just-" Lilli cuts him off with a small push in the direction of the double doors. "Bye, Vash!" She enters the door that the art club meets at. Everyone is here today. Feli Vargas, a happy-go-lucky Italian who always seems to have pasta on her mind, Lovina, her sister, Antonio Carrideo, Sakura Honda, a quiet Japanese girl, her brother, Yao, who is Chinese (it seems that all of their siblings are not actually related to each other. But they all come from different parts of Asia), Yong Soo, another one of their adopted siblings, Alfred Jones, an American, Maddie Williams, Francis Bonnefoy, Toris, Lixie, Natalya Braginski, and Alice Kirkland. More linger around in small groups, but those are the only ones that Lilli knows by name.

_Hmm. Who should I sit with?_ Lilli thinks to herself as she scans the room. She knows that Vash would immediately rule out Natalya, Feli, Lovina, Antonio, Lixie, Francis, Alfred, and Alice, but does that mean that she should, as well? _Hm...Well, Natalya is sitting alone_. Lilli decides to try to be friendly. "Hello," she says when she approaches the girl. "Is this seat taken?" she asks, pointing at the chair across from Natalya. Natalya jerks her head up and glares at Lilli; she flinches, but holds her ground, waiting for an answer. Before she can, though, a voice cries out, "Hey, Lilli!"

Lilli's head whips around to see Lixie waving her over. "C'mere! Sit with us!" she calls, wrapping her arm around Toris and Maddie. Both of them are unprepared for the sudden embrace and nearly fall off their stools. Lilli hesitates; Lixie is the kind of person that Vash would call 'accident-prone'. But, Vash doesn't control who Lilli can be friends with, so she starts to walk over there. She stops suddenly. "Can Natalya come too?" Natalya glares at Lilli. "No," she snarls. It's obvious that she doesn't want to be here. Lilli takes a glance at her, then sits herself on a stool across from Toris. "Like, you don't want to go making friends with that psycho. She'll, like, kill you," Lixie warns. "Oh, I'm sure she's not that bad..." Lilli says. "No, I'm bein' legit. Ask Toris," she says, poking said boy in the arm to get his attention. "Like, tell Lilli how Natalya tried to kill you," she says.

"Well..." Toris says. He runs a finger over a few bruises and cuts on his arm. "She...um...I can't say that she didn't hurt me a few times, but she never tried to kill me," he clarifies. "Felix is just over exaggerating," he says with a smile at her. "And you're, like, under-exaggerating!" Lixie cries. "She's _crazy!_" she says, yelling it across the room at Natalya. Natalya just continues drawing a picture of the violent decapitation of a person that looks suspiciously like Lixie. But Lilli sees how she flinches slightly, as if the insult was an actual blow. "Like, she should be in Juvie. For, like, _life_. Or a mental asylum. Whichever, like, works." Lixie giggles at the thought of the girl behind bars, while Lilli feels guilty and slightly sick. Maybe she should've sat with Peter; he's in her grade...

Lilli adds some shading to her picture for Vash. A nine-millimeter pistol with a pair of hands inserting more bullets in the bottom. Vash's favorite gun to use whenever their dad takes them shooting. Personally, Lilli prefers the rifle over the pistol, but this is for her big brother, and not her. Lilli glances at Toris' paper. He is drawing a leaf. Lilli notices how his eyes occasionally flicker over to Maddie, who is sitting on the end of the table next to him. Maddie is drawing a polar bear. Lixie is drawing a pony. Lilli wonders why she has pink colored pencils next to her until she picks one up and begins shading the miniature horse. _That's odd..._ Lilli thinks. _But, if that's what she wants her picture to be of, it's up to her. _

"Alright, everyone, time to put away your materials," the art teacher calls to everyone. "When you're done cleaning, get the heck out of my classroom and go home." The art club meets after school on Wednesdays from the end bell at three-thirty to four-thirty. A whole hour. No wonder Vash is worried. Lilli, who was immersed completely in her drawing, is the last one to leave. She decides to take the back door, because it is the closest door to her home. Lilli straightens her purple ribbon and pushes the door open, stepping into the unusually warm spring air. Lilli breathes in the sweet smell of flowers and smiles contentedly as she takes off her thin sweatshirt, revealing a pink tee-shirt. The girl reaches into her pocket and dials Vash's number. Immediately, he answers. "Lilli?"

"Yes, it's me. I'm just calling to tell you that I'm coming home," she says. "Alright. Do you want me to meet you halfway?" he asks. "No thank you. I'll be fine." The two exchange their goodbyes, and Lilli hangs up. She walks down the alleyway, towards home. A fierce voice suddenly rings around from behind her. "...totally insane!" Another voice growls, "Say that again and I'll rip off your face." Lilli glances over her shoulder to see Lixie walking next to Natalya, and both of them look angry. "Alright," Lixie sneers, "you're totally insane." With a snarl, Natalya grabs a fistful of Lixie's hair and shoves her into a wall. Lilli stops walking, horrified. The two girls brawl for a bit, screaming insults at each other and shrieking in pain whenever the other struck a blow. Before long, Lixie is on the ground, gasping for breath. Natalya, also panting, stands over her. "Leave me alone from now on unless you want another beating." She turns and sees Lilli, still standing rigid in terror. "What are _you_ looking at?" she spits as she passes her. "Never seen a fist-fight before? Get used to it, kid, it's a hard world out there. Now get out of here before I get the urge to hurt you." Lilli gawks at Natalya for a second, glances at Lixie, who is now passed out, and walks swiftly down the alleyway. Only after she is out does she feel a pang of remorse at leaving Lixie in that condition.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

Once Lilli is home, Vash fires the usual round of questions. "Are you okay? Were you followed? Did you talk to anyone?" She answers with the same old, "Yes. No. Yes." Lilli smiles at Vash, and excuses herself to go do her homework. She sits in her room at her desk and taps her pencil while trying to find out what the answer to question sixteen is. But she can't concentrate. Not while the image of Lixie lying on the dirty ground while covered in bruises haunts her whenever she closes her eyes. With a sigh, Lilli leans forward over her paper, clutching her hair. _I should've tried to help. I should've risked getting hurt. Isn't that what Vash would've done for a friend? At least, I should've tried to break up the fight before Lixie got that hurt...Maybe even talked to Natalya..._ she thinks as more and more guilt washes through her.

"Hard problem?" Vash guesses from the doorway. "Do you want any help?" Lilli jumps when she hears him. "O-oh. No, it's fine. I've got it." Vash sits next to her. "It doesn't look like you've got it," he says. "See, the formula for slope is Y equals M X plus B. If your ordered pair is (1, 5) and the slope is two, then the five would replace the Y, the slope would replace the M, and the one would replace the X. And we're trying to find the B. So now, the equation looks like this," Vash explains while writing down ' 5=2(1)+B' on Lilli's sheet of scrap paper. "Now, we multiply the one by the two, and that doesn't do anything, so it's the same thing, but without the one and the parentheses. You take away two from both sides, and you're left with three equals B. So, you just put that all together, and the correct equations is equals two X plus three. Understand?"

Lilli nods, copying the work and the answer on to her worksheet. "Hey, are you okay?" Vash asks. Lilli didn't notice that she was gritting her teeth until Vash asked her that. Loosening her jaw, she nods. "You sure? You look pale. Did anyone hurt you?" She shakes her head. "Then what's wrong?" Lilli takes a deep breath and the story just gushes out. "Earlier today, I sat with Lixie at art club and she was talking bad about Natalya, but I didn't say anything about it, and after I hung up, I was walking down the alleyway, and Lixie and Natalya came behind me, and they started fighting, at first with words, and then they started punching each other, and all I did was watch, and Lixie got hurt, and then Natalya told me to leave and I did, but now I feel really really guilty because I should've tried to help Lixie and talk to Natalya because Lixie is hurt and Natalya is sad because Lixie said some pretty mean things, but I didn't do anything for either one of them, and I can only think of how you would've tried to at least break up the fight before it got out of hand, and you might be disappointed in me, but I just told you everything, so, what do you think I should do?" After the last word, Lilli takes a deep breath because she didn't stop during the entire ramble.

Vash raises his eyebrows. "Why didn't you tell me as soon as you got home?" he asks. "I was afraid of your reaction," she says sheepishly, hanging her head. "You're not angry with me?" she tentatively asks. "No, Lilli, why would I?" he asks. "Because I didn't try to help either one of them," she says. "That's not a problem, Lilli. At least, not right now. Tomorrow you should make sure both of them are okay. Well, I'll make sure. Lixie is in my grade and Natalya is in yours, but I don't want her to hurt you."

"Um...If it's alright with you, I would like to make sure Natalya is okay. I think she might be more violent towards you," Lilli says. When Vash starts to protest, she adds, "I can fight my own battles, Vash. I'm not the same little girl you saved from the streets. But you're always going to be my older brother." Vash takes a while to process what she said, and then smiles. "Shame. I'm going to miss that little girl. I'm proud of you, Lilli." She beams, then hugs Vash. "I love you," she whispers. Vash is startled by the sudden amount of touchy-feely-ness in the room and turns red. "I love you too, Lilli," he manages, patting her awkwardly on the head for good measure. _I'm no good at this, _ he thinks.

Lilli lets go of him and giggles. _Sometimes Vash just radiates awkwardness._

Natalya slams her locker open, softening only when her dark eyes fall on a picture of her brother, who is currently suspended. She unloads her backpack and takes her notebook and pencil before she closes the door. When the door is shut, Natalya flinches. Lilli Zwingli is standing _right. There._ "O-oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," she says. Natalya sends her mental daggers and walks to her class; but unfortunately, Lilli also has this class. "Look, I'm sorry about yesterday. I should've told Lixie off for saying those things about you," she says as she takes the vacant seat next to her. "Why do _you_ care?" Natalya hisses. "I'm just the crazy freak that everyone avoids. You should, too. Protect your little reputation as 'the innocent one'." Natalya pulls out her sketchbook and starts roughly swiping her pencil across the page; not in a way that indicates that she's drawing anything, but more in a gesture of agitation. But then, Lilli says something that surprises the girl immensely.

"I don't care about a reputation. You need a friend."

Shock flows through Natalya like ice. _She...wants...to be my...friend..._ Her pencil stops moving, and tears prick in the corner of her eyes. To hide them, she starts dragging the pencil harder and faster than she ever recalls. "Oh _yeah?_" she sneers. "That's what they all say, the people who want to adopt the freak as a charity to make them look more desirable, but they don't mean it. You're no better than them, trust me. You won't last a week as my 'friend'," she growls. "Too many times it's happened. _Too. Many. Times._" This comes out as a mere whisper. There is a small snapping sound, and the tip of Natalya's pencil breaks off. She stares at the jagged edge of the wood and gently probes it with her fingertip.

Lilli giggles softly, for some strange reason, and repeats what an annoying American boy says all the time. "Challenge accepted." The phrase is somewhat an inside joke to the seventh graders. No one in Hetalia High would've guessed that the phrase that swept through the school like wildfire started in the ninth-grade hallway. But, it did. Soon the 'challenge accepted' phase died out, but not to the ninth graders.

"Alright, then," Natalya says. "You won't last a week as my friend. If I win, you do my homework for a week. You win, I'll do yours." Lilli shakes her head. "If I win, I don't want anything out of you." Natalya glares at Lilli for a second. _Maybe she really does want to be my friend..._she thinks as they shake on it.

When class starts, Lilli thinks, _I'm going to be the best friend she's ever had._

**Ta-da! I wrote the top author's note a while ago. I just couldn't figure out which characters to use, but once I chose who, this chapter fell from my ears and jumped into the computer. Weird. XD **

**So, I'm really sorry for the late update! O^O Don't kill me I have relatives in your country! **

**heh. My room is messy. My mom hates it, but I don't really mind. XD lol. It's not like I have anywhere to put my stuff anyway, it's all in boxes. -_- I hate unpacking after moving. A lot. **

**Oh, well. Jaa ne~~**


	7. A bone to pick with them

**HEY EVERYONE I'M ALIVE! :U **

***immediately brick'd***

**I know, this should've come up a long time ago. In my defense, I couldn't think of anything, and I was busy with my other story. BUTTT, my awesome buddy, Quinn Fiberoptic, gave me a LOT of good ideas, so if I procrastinate again it's because I'm busy with my other story. Seriously, having two chapter stories to maintain at the same time is HARD. -_-**

**Tabby-tan: Heh, okey. :3 **

**EnharmonicAngel: YESH I HELPED! :D I think algebra should crawl in a pit and DIE. The only career using algebra is an algebra teacher. Seriously. **

**Rose Thourn: Thanks! I LOVE Liechtenstein, she's so adorable. Switzie is adorkable. :3**

**Canadagirl52: *blush* *Prussia* Hey! *pouting* *Mem* Oh, shut up, Gilly...o/o Thanks! **

**LadyoftheLake13: Thanks! Okey. You've probably already finished by now. I should really update more. XD**

**Me Squared: Heh, yeah. I have this weird gift of humor-filled-awkwardness. I try to mix it in with the serious-ness, but when that fails, you get it in the AN's. :3 Aw...*hugs* Some people are stupid, I'm just glad to help. **

**Why, yes. Yes they are. :3 **

**AccessBlade: O/U/O Fankyew~ Heh, yesh, I need to work on that...we'll see how well I do this chapter!**

**AILOVE-withcake: Fankyew~ o3o**

**Hetalia-EnglandthePirate: Why, yes. Yes I am. o3o**

**Quinn Fiberoptic: Thanks! :3 XD You should focus more on your friends. Although, this was like, a month ago, last I updated. XD **

**Art and Soul: Almost end of June now! I should update this more! XD Me and mah procrastination...*shakes head***

**ZeldaLove Akira-Chan: Yesh, she is~ *high five* Good for you! You show them! :3**

**Kitana Lunara: Your welcome! I just like to help people. Makes me feel useful. :3**

**xxxWARGIRLxxx: *hive five* You go, girl! :) I don't have many friends, either, but only because I'm kinda a little bit sociophobic. Maybe. ^_^; It varies. On the internet, everyone is my friend. Then I get at school, and I'm all "WHO ARE YOU AND WHY ARE YOU WITHIN THREE FEET OF ME? :U"**

**EqualDemise731: Yeah. Some people just need a good talking to, then they're scared off. :D **

**Anon: Fankyew~ So, I had a lot of debating about whether or not I should do that...Because I'm a Christian, and it's kind of bad, in my eyes, but I'm not homophobic. My best friend was, and he was the absolute first person who made me feel welcome, and he helped me make other friends. But, I eventually decided that I would, and I'd mix other reasons to why he's being picked on, like his accent, scary looks, and stuff. :3**

**Cryers Cross-Save-My-Soul: ...Wow...If they were really your friends, they wouldn't pick on you like that. *hugs* Hugs are freaking duct tape, okay? :)**

**Any-Chan: Heh heh, yeah. I'mma try to work on that. ^_^;**

**Wow. That's long. o.o **

***Prussia* That's what she said~~ Kesesese~~~**

***Mem* GOT THE FREAK OUT OF MY AUTHOR'S NOTE! *weilds a frying pan***

***Prussia* *screams and runs away***

**Heh, so, yeah. Before I forget, I've think the victims for the next few chapters will be Italy, Norway, Sweden, Hungary/ Austria, and S. Korea. Maybe or maybe not in that particular order. Depends on what mood I'm in. **

**Alright-y, I'll shut up now. o3o**

By-standing: verbal

"Rawr!" Feli Vargas shrieks as she jumps up behind Ludwig Belishmidt. Said German jumps violently, losing his page in his book.

"Feli," he scolds, "You scared me!"

Feli tosses her long red ponytail over her shoulder and plops happily on the seat next to the blonde boy. "I thought you weren't scared of anything!" she says, taking his hand. Ludwig blushes and untangles his fingers from her's.

"How's this: You _startled_ me," Ludwig corrects, opening his book again. Feli bends over, trying to see the cover. _How to deal with Italians: Sisters_.

"Why are you reading that?" Feli asks. Ludwig doesn't answer for a minute.

"I'm, uh, learning how to be better...friends...with you and your sister," he finally says. Feli doesn't notice the pause, chirps, "Oh, okay~!", and begins poking Ludwig's slicked-back hair.

"What do you do to make it like this?" she asks, running her fingers back across his head. Ludwig blushes deeper at her touch, but he doesn't make her stop.

"Hairspray..." he answers. "I just don't like it in my face." Finally, he gently shakes his head, and Feli pulls her hands away. She sits still for a minute, then pokes Ludwig's face.

"Will you play football with me?" she asks. Even with her eyes half-closed, she looks hopeful.

"_Nein._ I'm reading," he answers, turning back to his book.

"But it's so pretty outside~" Feli protests, pulling on his sleeve. "Pleaase~?" Ludwig looks over at the Italian.

"You're wearing a skirt," he points out. Feli looks at her white, ankle-length skirt and shrugs.

"I know,"she says. "Please?" He sighs and stands up.

"American football or...?"

"No, soccer. Yeah, that's what Americans call it." Feli looks proud of herself for remembering the name. Ludwig picks up a soccer ball from the bin of the school's balls.

**(I couldn't write that with a straight face. That. Is. What. She. Said. XD XD XD)**

Feli is a natural at the sport, even with the restricting clothing: bouncing the ball off her head, easily kicking the ball into the goal. Ludwig has to admit, the more she plays, the more radiant she looks. Her red hair falling slightly out of her ponytail, sweat making her tan skin glisten in the sunlight, her beautiful amber eyes opening for once in order to see where she's kicking. When the bell rings, the pair is panting heavily and wiping sweat off their foreheads.

"Ve~ That was fun, Luddy~" Feli chirps, twirling around in a circle. Her skirt flows around. Feli had let down her hair, so it spins as she does. Ludwig can see cat hair on her blue top; she was playing with her kitten before school. Ludwig has always been more of a dog person. Looking down, dog hair is indeed embedded in his shirt.

Feli takes his hand without a warning and sprints into the building like she's being chased. _Why can't she run this fast when I'm training her?_ Ludwig thinks, struggling to catch up. _And why does she have this much energy after playing that much?_

A group of boys laugh when they pass. "What a retard," one of them says. By the time Ludwig is able to turn his head to see who said that, a massive flow of students has piled in the hallway. _That wasn't very nice..._ Ludwig thinks. He turns around and sees Feli balencing a pencil on her lip.

"Ve~~ Look, I have a- whoops!" Feli giggles, making the pencil drop. "I _had_ a mustache," she corrects after picking it back up.

"Amusing. Let's get to class," Ludwig says. Feli peeps, "Ve~ Okay!" and follows the German like a lost puppy. The class they have is Science. Ludwig sits down, and Feli jumps into the chair next to him. The bell rings, and the last of the people file in.

"Alright," Mrs. Valenzuela says as the class settles down. "Who's up for a science experiment?" The whole class groans. "Sorry, kids," she says. "It's mandatory." She then begins to talk about the requirements for it. "You need to have a project that your whole group agrees on-" The teacher stops when most of the class gasps and grabs at their friends. "No, nice try, I get to pick."

The class groans again. Feli "Aw~"s and lets go of Ludwig's arm.

Mrs. V lists off the requirements. Ludwig writes down everything. Feli stares off into space, occasionally saying "Ve~".

Finally, the times comes for the groups. "Maddie, Toris, Lixie, and Caitlyn are group one. **(Caitlyn is a person. YOU KNOW WHO YOU IS! :D) **Lauren, Sakura, Alice, Alfred, and Ivan are group two. Yes, you get to be the only group of five." **(Lauren knows who she is! o3o) **She stops when Alfred goes "Aw..." as Ivan's name follows his. Ivan smiles his creepy, childish smile. Ivan came back from Out-of-School-Suspension after a week.

Mrs. V continues. "Lovina, Feli, Dylan, and Max are group three. **(Dylan and Max are random people of whom I have not met. They came from my mind. :3) **And Sophie, Dahlia, Maura, and Ludwig are group four. No changing your partners, and no complaining about them." **(Sophie, Dahlia, and Maura are people I know. :3 If you're reading this, HI AND I MISS YOU! :D *waves furiously* *knocks over a lamp* :B)**

Feli says, "Yay, I'm with Lovi!" Then she turns to Ludwig. "But I still wish I was with you! Or Sakura, you two are the best, even better than pasta!"

Ludwig smiles. If Feli says you're better than pasta, then she really, really likes you. "Thanks. You should get with your group now."

Almost as soon as he said that, three shadows fall over him. He suddenly gets a feeling that he should be very, very afraid. "You remind us of an anime character," the girl named Maura says eagerly. The three girls are grinning more than Ivan.

Ludwig sweatdrops. _Fangirls!_ he thinks. He had heard of these girls' obsession over an anime. He knew how they mob others for looking like the characters, asking for pictures and asking questions about what their character does, like asking Alfred if he has a pet alien named Tony, or if Alice has a pet Flying Mint Bunny (she said yes, yes she does). _Help...me..._

XXXXXXXXXXX **(I own none of those stores, or Facebook. :B Derpdederrr)**

A week later, Ludwig's and the Fangirl's science project is finished. Their subject was going to a highly-populated area, waving at people for three minutes, and counting how many people wave back. They went to a mall (Ludwig's patience with these girls was running very, very thin...), picked four stores, and assigned jobs. Sophie stood outside American Eagle Outfitter's (two people waved back; four did not); Dahlia stood outside Dillards (three waved; ten did not); Maura got Rue 21 (two waved; eleven did not; and Ludwig, praying for patience, stood outside Victoria's Secret (five people laughed while waving; thirteen just laughed and walked on or ignored him).

Then it was time to do the control of the experiment. The control is something about an experiment that does not change whatsoever, such as, if a florist planted the same type of flower in four pots, put a different fertilizer on three of them and let the fourth one be, the fourth would be the control. The dependent variable would be whatever he was looking to seek, whether it be flower count or how tall it grows, and the independent variable would be the type of fertilizer. The constant variables would be whatever did not change in the experiment, such as the pot it's in, or where it is.

Ludwig's group's control was in the very center of the mall. Dahlia had volunteered to do it. No one waved back, and the nine people she waved at walked on.

The Fangirls, as Ludwig calls them, had offered to do the poster together if he wrote the report; Ludwig agreed, glad to have some alone time.

Sitting at his computer desk the night before it was due, Ludwig typed. The Face book that Gilbirt forced him into having was open, behind the window for the writing program he was using. Without any warning, a loud _ding!_ made its self present in the German's room.

He jumped, deeply enveloped in the report. Then he realized what that sound was. Somebody was chatting with him. Ludwig minimized the program and saw Feli's profile picture next to the words _Hai luddy :3_

Ludwig stared at the text before replying. _Hello, Feli. Have you finished your science project yet?_

_yep! _Feli sent. Ludwig sighed.

_Are you ready to present?_

Feli's reply took a while, so he wrote a bit more. Finally, she wrote, _the boys are doin the paper. _

Ludwig nodded in approval. _Good._

_btw, what does retard mean?_

Ludwig glared at the text. _Why?_ he asked.

_thats what the boys call me. Lovi doesnt like that name, tho, so its their secret nickname for me. _

Secret nickname... Ludwig facepalmed. If he wasn't **(Cough, totally and completely in love with her, cough XD GerIta! :D)** friends with Feli, he would chastise her for this.

_Feli, that's not a name they should be calling you..._Ludwig typed, trying to let her down gently.

_Y? Whats it mean?_

Ludwig's fingers hesitated over the keys. Then they moved on their own. His hand grabbed the mouse and clicked 'Logout'.

Immediately, Ludwig wanted to log back in. But he didn't. He sat there that night, barely able to finish the report and print it out. He was ashamed at himself. Completely ashamed.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next day, Ludwig sits in his seat, two copies of his report in his hands. One for Mrs. Valenzuela to grade, and one for them to read from when they present to the class. Feli skips in the classroom. Today she is wearing jean shorts and a light pink shirt. Her auburn hair is tied back in two loose braids. Around her neck is a simple silver chain. Earrings of the same color glitter on her ears, hiding slightly behind her hair. When she sees Ludwig, she grins and waves like the last night didn't happen. Ludwig gives a hesitant smile; he thought she'd hate him. Feli needs constant attention. If he had to compare her to a certain type of dog, he would classify her as a blue heeler: energetic, and they can't be left alone, lest they go a bit crazy.

"Ve~~ Hi, Luddy~~!" Feli chirps.

"Hi. Ready to present?" Ludwig asks.

"Yeah. Lovi's sick, though, so it's just me and Dylan and Max," Feli says, plopping in the seat next to the blond. "Since they wrote the paper and Lovi did the poster, I get to talk," she announces proudly.

"Good for you," he says. The bell rings, and the attention goes to Mrs. V.

"I trust everyone has their projects?" she asks. There is a murmuring of agreement in the room. "I'll ask for volunteers first, and then I'll assign. Who wants to go first?"

The room is silent.

Mrs. V laughs. She assigns group one to go first. Their project is about straws and music: how can you make straws work like reeds? They cut straws different lengths, and for extra credit, they play a song on the straw-reeds. Caitlyn, a misplaced member of the Fangirls, waves at her friends.

Mrs. V makes Ludwig's group go first. Oddly enough, the Fangirls are only crazy when they don't have an audience. When they're in front of the class, they're shy, which baffles Ludwig completely. Maura reads the paper, Dahlia and Sophie hold the poster, and Ludwig stands awkwardly to the side, acting somewhat like Vanna White. **(Wheel of Fortune. I don't own the show. Or anything, really, just the OC's. :B)**

When they finish, group two goes; Alfred sulks to the side as Ivan holds the posterboard proudly. Their project is about gum; which brand truly lasts the longest? Lauren is also part of the unofficial clique of hyper girls.

Finally, Feli's group goes. The two boys, Dylan and Max, hold the posterboard and hide their heads behind it. Are they...laughing...? Ludwig can't tell. Feli smiles brightly, drawing the attention to herself. She looks at the paper in her hands and frowns slightly, and she begins to slowly read.

"Our ex-expirim-ment is ab-bout c-color and m-music..." she says. The two boys' laughter grows slightly, and the rest of the class joins in slightly. Ludwig is confused; Feli is literate. She can read perfectly. So why is she like this...?

"We tes-tested s-seven p-people. W-we had th-them p-paint a...picture...? Yeah. We had them paint a picture while lis-listening to dif-...differ-..different types of mus-music. Here are some sam-...samples..." Feli gestures to the poster, at two pieces of paper with multi-colored lines on it. "We ask- asked them to keep it ab-...abstrak-...abstract...? Yeah, abstract..."

The rest of the report is just as forced and shaky. Ludwig wonders why. And why do those boys keep laughing? The rest of the class laughs too. By the time she's finished, Feli's face is crestfallen and blushing.

Feli takes her seat, and the boys put the poster in the back of the room next to the teacher. They still haven't stopped laughing.

The bell rings; presentations took all period. Ludwig catches Feli in the hall, who looks on the verge of tears. Usually, she doesn't hesitate to burst into loud and noisy sobs, so this worries Ludwig greatly. "What happened back there?" he asks.

Feli, in answer, holds out the paper she was reading from.

_OuUUr EexPIRimmMENt IIs ABoUt CcOolLOR AND MUusciC. WeE tSeTED sSeVVeN pEEOplLe. WEEE hd tHM PAINTTT a PpiiIIcCctTUURREE WWHIle LIsteninG to dDIfFeTRNT TTypEES og MuusSicccCC. WEEee AksED tHeMM To KEepp it ABastericcktt..._

Dumbstruck, Ludwig looks up. Feli is gone. He catches a glimpse of her red hair before it's engulfed in the massive flow of students.

XXXXXX

"Sakura, have you seen Feli?" Ludwig asks his Japanese friend at lunchtime.

"She has been in the bathroom since third period," she answers. "She's crying, and she won't come out. She won't talk about it, either. Do you know anything?" she adds. Ludwig hands her the report.

After Sakura looks at it, she folds it in quarters. Then she looks up at the blond, her eyes wide and sad. "Who wrote this?" she asks.

Ludwig points at the table across from theirs, where two loud and obnoxious boys laugh with their friends.

Sakura, surprisingly, glares at them. It is rare to see her the least bit fazed at anything, so Ludwig shifts uncomfortably on his seat. If there is anything you do _not_ want to experience, it's the rage of Sakura.

"So...I want to talk with her," Ludwig says, momentarily breaking Sakura's glare. "And, would you coax her out of the bathroom? Since...you know...I am male."

"Yes, of course," Sakura answers. She picks up something from her bento box. She gets up and Ludwig follows. **(A bento box is a box that Japanese people use like lunch boxes. Its size varies, and they usually have different compartments to store different food. Common foods to put in are vegetables, rice, fish/meat, etc., etc...)**

Alfred intercepts Sakura by giving her an unexpected hug. "Heeeey, girrrl," he chirps.

Sakura softens a bit. "Hello, Alfred," she says, pulling his arms off.

"Hey, where's my atmosphere-searching-buddy?" he asks suddenly.

"We're going to get her," Sakura answers lightly.

"She okay?" he asks.

"Yes, she's fine," Sakura answers, dismissing Alfred.

They go down the hall and Sakura enters the women's bathroom. She hears quiet sobs, and is surprised. When Feli cries, she is usually loud and wailing; she must have been more humiliated than Sakura thought...

Sakura knocks on the closed stall door. "Feli...?"

"Go aw-way..."

"Feli, may I come in? I brought you an onigiri..." Sakura says. She gives the plastic-covered rice ball in her hand a slight squeeze.

"Nuh-uh," Feli answers.

"...Ludwig wants to talk to you," Sakura offers. Feli doesn't answer for a while.

"...N-no. I wanna go home."

"Please Feli...?" Sakura asks.

"No."

"...I'll make you pasta after school..." Feli hesitates, and Sakura expects the door to open.

"...N-no..."

Sakura is taken aback. Usually, all it takes is an offer for pasta to cheer the Italian up. "Feli..."

"Go away...P-please..." Feli sniffles. Slowly, Sakura backs out of the bathroom.

"Well?" Ludwig asks.

Sakura shakes her head. "She won't come out."

Ludwig sighs. He didn't want it to come to this.

"Is there anyone but Feli in there?" he asks.

"No, it's just her...Wait, why?" Sakura asks.

Without answering, Ludwig pushes open the door and enters.

"Feli, please come out," he says.

"You're n-not allowed in here," Feli says.

"I know," he answers. "You wouldn't come out, so I had to come in. Please, come out of the stall."

Feli sniffles softly, and slowly opens the door. She's a mess: her hair, let down from the braids that she wore this morning, is messy, her clothes are creased (which awakens Ludwig's inner perfectionist; he ignores it), and tears glitter on her face, which she determinedly keeps pointed at her shoes.

"Listen, it's going to be alright," Ludwig says, putting a hand on her shoulder. She flinches.

"I'm just t-tired of everyone treating me like I'm stupid..." she says quietly.

Ludwig hugs her, bringing butterflies to his stomach and lighting his face like a Christmas tree. "I know you're not," he says. Feli buries her face into his shirt and cries.

After a while, Ludwig says, "Come on, let's go outside..." Feli takes his outstretched hand and allows herself to be led. Sakura follows them once they exit the bathroom. She takes Feli's other hand.

Outside, the trio sits on a bench. Ludwig wraps his arm around Feli's shoulders as she cries into his. Sakura gently pats her on the back. This is a time where words would do no good. The only comfort that will work is a hug.

Hugs are the world's way of telling people things without ever saying a word. It could mean I love you, or good luck, or it can simply mean I'm here for you. It's just immediately understood; the universal sign of comfort and care. You don't need to say anything when a hug will suffice.

The bell rings. Feli immediately sits up and wipes her face with her sleeve. "Thank you..." she says, wrapping them both in a hug.

"You're welcome," Sakura says. She smiles, and walks with Feli to her locker.

Ludwig turns and sees the two troublemakers. He points a finger accusingly at the ringleader. He stops, rigid; Ludwig is the captain of the wrestling team. "I've got a bone to pick with you two."

**TA DA. **

**I know. It's about time. I've been working on this for a while, and it's still pretty short. It's just, sometimes I can do amazingly, and then it's all...meh. I really like how I did chapter four (Despite the subject...=~=) , and I wish every chapter can be like that. This one wasn't, really. **

**Feel free to ignore this part, I'm just ranting. :3**

**I'm in a car right now. I'm a looooong way from home. I'm taking a trip to a random state to pick up my dog. I'mma have her back on Thursday, and I'll be home Saturday. :3 So, if you read my profile, you know I've lived in Japan. Our family's doggeh HAAAAATTESSS Kennels. She actually let herself out of one when we tried to start training her. Anyway, we couldn't take her to Japan with us, because the trip would change her completely. Wee decided that would be too cruel, so we gave her to some neighbors who had babysat her a few times; she knows and loves them, and they know and love her. Anyway, a few months ago, the neighbor Emailed my mom telling her that they were starting to develop dog allergies, and she asked in we wanted her back. and we said YES. I'VE MISSED HER SO MUCHHHH! :'D **

**Even in the two years we were away from her, we'd still say the names of tricks she'd know (Ex: when we drop food, we yell "Kiki, it's your lucky day!" and she'd come running. Another, if we want to take her for a walk, we'd either say walk, or she knows how walk is spelled. "Double U, A, El, Kay?" *perks ears*), and we'd still yell "KIKI!" every time we'd come home. You can probably imagine how hard it was when no happy doggeh came to meet us. And her birthday, we weren't there, and we still made a cake in her honor. We've had her since she was one and a half, and we gave her away the summer she was seven; we were gone for her eighth and ninth birthdays. Ooh, and my sister made her a facebook, and I'd post things on her wall about how much I miss her, even though she's a doggeh and can't use the computer. XD**

**Anyway, that's what's new with me. What's up with you guys?**

**Please review and try not to hate me if another late update happens! Just message me and say something along the lines of "STOP BEING LAZY AND START WRITING! :U" and then I'll try to start. **

**Okey. I'm done. Please review. :B**


	8. Still bro's

**YAY QUICK UPDATE! :D **

**caset290: O/U/O Thankss. I'll keep that in mind. I've already got a few more ideas, so, rumors will come later, though. :3 Oooh, maybe...If I run out of characters to torture...**

**InsanityAintOptional: YEAH, GO TURTLE ARMY! :D**

**Quinn Fiberoptic: You're welcome! Thanks for the ideas! MIND POWERS. :U**

**Tabby-Tan: Okay...START WRITING! XD Thanks! Aw, doggeh...**

**Cryers Cross-Save-My-Soul: I'm ALWAYS a loner. Except for on the internet. Internet people like me. XD **

**ZeldaLove Akira-Chan: Yeah. :3 **

**Art and Soul: Fankyew~~ I actually love Germany. XD He's so cuuuteeee! **

**Kitana Lunara: This time I got bored. And boredom sparks motivation for me! Last time I was just working on my other story a lot, and...yeah, you get it. :B PROCRASTINATORS OF THE WORLD, UNITE! ...Tomorrow...**

**PridexWretchedluver4ever: I know, right? D: **

**Anon: You're welcome! I just realized that I did something wrong on my last note. My friend was gay, not homophobic. It made it sound like he was homophobic. And I don't really care what other people do with themselves; if they're being picked on for being themselves, it's not right. No one deserves that. **

**Chi-Chan11: O/U/O Danke~ **

**Scotty1609: You reviewed a lot, thanks! Don't hate Hungary yet...*cough hint cough*...Gotta love them both! X3...You're welcome! That chapter is very near and dear to my heart, as well...Aw, poor Scotty-Chan's friends...Yeah, I hate flamers...Ostricing? Osterich? I'll look it up. Learning, yay!...YES. THEY SHOULD BE VERY SCARED. Thank you for reviewing! :3**

**EqualDemise731: ...does this count as soon? XD Thanks for reviewing!**

**ImCanada: *blush* amazing author...? XD I'm doing something like that for Sweden, but thank you so much for the idea! :3**

**Any-Clan: people from my school actually did that. They had the subjects listen to seven types of music, and they were looking for how many times the subject would use the color blue. They predicted they would use blue more often while listening to classical music. Does that help at all? **

**MysticDayze: Wearing a horse mask to class sounds awesome! I'm the type of girl who jumps of the auditorium stage yelling "I MUST GO! MY PEOPLE NEED ME!" XD**

**CelticGirl7: Fankyew~ Ooh, sounds like fun! *grabs a brick* What? Bricks are the ULTIMATE weapon...WHAT IF YOU BLENDED TOGETHER A FRYING PAN, A WOK, AND A BRICK? THEN YOU'D BE UNSTOPPABLE! :U**

**anon: You reviewed the same thing thrice. XD I deleted two of them, so just one now. :3 Aw, I'm sorry! I've never been bullied, but I've been ignored, the odd one out and all that happy crap. Bulling is really really terrible, and I hate it. I'm starting to think I've been over-exaggerating the stuff...Aw, thanks! :3**

**Canadagirl52: Yeah. X3 YES. MOSCOW, I CHOOSE YOU! /shot for lame refrence/ Fankyew~~**

**Wowwwww...I love you guys so much...X3**

**Heh, I got better on the line-spacing-thingy! Yayyyyy! XD **

**So, this chapter was also the idea of Quinn Fiberoptic. She's so awesome! :3 **

***Prussia* Hey...! **

***Mem* WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT BEING IN MY AUTHOR'S NOTES? **

***Prussia* *guilty* Not to be in your author's notes...**

***Mem* Good boy. Now, go run along and play with Gilbird.**

***Prussia* What a creeper!**

***Mem* WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?**

***Prussia* Meep! *runs away***

***shakes head* Man, that dude is a handful...XD **

**Just so you know, Lukas is Norway, Emil is Iceland, and Mathias is Denmark. My first time with the Nordics! THIS should be fun! XD**

**Anywayyyy...here's the next chapter!**

Bullying in friendships

"Luuuuuukassssss!" Mathias Kohler yelled to his friend.

Lukas lazily lifted his head up to meet his, nonetheless, friend. His silvery-gray hair rustled in the breeze; the left side of his bangs were pulled back with two crossed bobby pins. Also on the left, a strange floating curl quivered in the wind. A blue sailor hat perched on his ash-colored locks. The hue of his long-sleeved shirt matched the cap. In his hands was a sketchpad and a pencil; he was drawing a strange creature. The boy's face seemed to be permanently erased of all emotion; even his dull blue eyes lacked the gleam that Mathias' had.

Mathias jumped on the cushiony chair next to the Norwegian. The Dane was wearing a black and red T-shirt and black skinny jeans. Hidden is his spiky blond hair was a small hat, which was placed at a jaunty angle. The boy's face was set in an impish grin; mischevious blue eyes glinted in the sunlight. Mathias set off an air of pure boyish happiness, while Lukas seemed to not have an aura to begin with.

"What do you want?" Lukas asked. Even his voice was emotionless.

"I'm bored," was Mathias' answer.

"That's your problem," Lukas answered snidely, returning to his drawing of what seems like a goblin.

"Come on...!" Mathias whined, tugging on Lukas' sleeve. "It's Friday night, and I'm stuck here."

"You're not stuck," Lukas monotoned. "You live next door, just go home." He continued sketching for a while, then he asked, "How did you even get in here? I thought I told Emil to lock the doors."

"He left his window unlocked."

"His window is on the second floor."

"Yeah, so?"

Lukas shook his head in exasperation. He looked over the railing of the balcony. From here, he could see the school; the football stadium lights were on, easily luminating the building in the dark. He looked up. A thousand glittering stars twinkled and danced above him. Lukas finally dropped his gaze to Mathias. "Your mom has no idea where you are, does she?"

Mathias laughed. "I think she's used to this sort of stuff by now."

The statement is too true; Mathias often leaves and goes to Lukas' house without telling anyone. It was a bad habit, but at least his mom knew where to find him. Lukas' house was a second home to Mathias.

There was a silence which was only broken by the scratching of Lukas' pencil and the sighs of Mathias.

Finally, the Danish boy stood up and announced, "I'm hungry."

"You know where to find food. Just try not to make a mess," Lukas responded without looking up. If Mathias wanted food, he was going to get food. Lukas figured that out when Mathias moved next to him when the two were in second grade. He still remembered that day...

XXX

_"Mom, there's a moving truck outside," Lukas says, watching the movers haul the furniture and boxes into the house next to his. _

_"Yes, we're getting new neighbors," Lukas' mom says while his little brother, Emil, joins Lukas at the window. "They have a little boy your age, Lukas. Isn't that wonderful?" _

_"Yeah, I guess," Lukas responds. _

_"Mom, what about me? Do they have a little boy my age?" Emil asks. _

_"I'm sorry, Emil. You're only a year behind, though, so you're almost their age." _

_The first-grader nods and leaves, stooping to pick up his stuffed puffin. _

_Lukas watches as the front door to their new neighbor's house opens and a small blond boy runs out, a big smile on his face. He runs straight to Lukas' front porch and rings the doorbell. Lukas stares at the door, apprehensive. His mother gives a small laugh and opens the door to meet the boy. _

_"Hi! I'm Mathias Kohler! I just moved here!" he says in one breath. He is positively jumping with excitement. _

_"Hello!" Lukas' mom says. She introduces herself. "...and this is one of my sons, Lukas." _

_Mathias stares at Lukas for a second before inviting himself in and wrapping the poor Norwegian in a big hug. Lukas immediately squirms. "Off!" he gasps. "Get off! Crushing me!" _

_"Heh, sorry!" Mathias says. "You're my new best friend, alright?" _

_Lukas, shaking after the hug-attack, shrugs and says, "Fine, just don't touch me." _

XXX

Ever since that day, Mathias has been over to bug Lukas and ruffle Emil's hair, and basically cause chaos in their house. Lukas' parents have accepted Mathias, and they were never surprised when they wake up to find the boy crashed on their couch. Occasionally, Mathias dragged Lukas over to his house, but the former happened more often than the latter.

A pack of Swedish Fish hit Lukas in the back of the head. **(I don't own. but if I did, I would have an unlimited supply of them. X3)**

"Hey!" Lukas exclaimed, furrowing his eyebrows in a sign of irritation. Lukas doesn't show emotion much, but anger is one of the more common expressions he uses. Nonetheless, he picked up the yellow package and opened it, biting through the sticky red candy. Mathias snickered and sat on the chair with his feet pointed to the sky. He, too, was eating the "fish."

After a minute, Mathias asked, "If Berwald is Swedish, does that mean he eats these all the time?"

"That's stereotypical of you," Lukas remarked, pelting him with a fish. Mathias yelped as the fish hit his nose and poked his eye before falling on the balcony floor, just centimeters under his spiky hair, then he laughed.

"I'll get you for that," he promised. Mathias began chucking Swedish Fish at Lukas, to which Lukas counter-attacked. Soon, both teenagers had sugary red goop in their hair. Mathias howled with laughter, and Lukas let loose a rare smile.

"Alright. Time for you to leave," Lukas declared, brushing bits of the candy off his face.

"Awwww...!" Mathias whined. "Can't I just sleep here?"

"No, go home," Lukas said firmly.

Mathias grumbled. "Some friend you are..." But he plucked Lukas' hat off his head and made him chase him downstairs, showing that he wasn't mad about it.

"Give me that," Lukas said, snatching the cap out of Mathias' hands. Lukas punched him in the arm after replacing the hat where it should be: on his head.

"Bye, Luke!" Mathias called with a smirk. Lukas rolled his eyes and slammed the door in the Dane's face.

_Ugh, Mathias is so annoying,_ Lukas thought as he stormed up the stairs. _Still, he's my best friend..._

Lukas locked himself on the bathroom and jumped in the shower after stripping his clothes off himself. He began massaging shampoo in his hair to rid it of the gooey candy. He watched as the last of the red fish washed away. After towel-drying and dressing in a T-shirt and Norwegian flag pajama pants, he walked barefooted to the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of milk. He ignored the way his hair stuck to his face as he sat on the counter and drank the white beverage.

"Hi, Luke," a voice in his ear said.

Lukas jumped so violently, milk sloshed from his glass and on the floor and his feet.

"_Mathias!_" Lukas hissed. "I _thought_ I told you to _go home!_"

"You did!" he said, smiling apologetically and scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "I locked myself out and my parents are asleep. Can I crash here? Please?" For effect, he pouted like a puppy. Lukas sighed exasperatedly, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Fine. Whatever. Couch is all yours," he said, getting over his shock. "Climb in through the window again?"

"Yep!" Mathias said proudly. "Emil's still awake. He threw Mr. Puffin at me."

"You deserve it, too..." Lukas replied while cleaning up the spill with a paper towel. After he was finished, he yelled up the stairs, "Mathias is sleeping over!" to his parents, who responded, "When doesn't he?" Mathias grinned at the response.

"Y'know, I'll never got over how different you look without your hair clippie things," he said after a moment, gesturing at his own forehead to emphasize the point. "You look less like a girl."

Lukas decked him with a pillow. "I never look like a girl!" he protested.

"You _always_ look like a girl. Just, less without the clippies," Mathias said, falling backwards over the armrest of the couch.

"Shut up," Lukas responded hotly. "I don't look like a girl."

"Yes you do!" Mathias said. "You're all small and petite and girly."

"In what way?" Lukas asked, putting his hands on his hips.

"Like that," he said. "The hand thing when you're mad. That's girly."

"No it's not!"

"Uh, yeah, dude, it is."

"So, because I do this when I'm angry makes me girly?" Lukas asked in a deadly tone.

"Not only that. It's the way you're built. You'll all small," Mathias said with a smirk. "Not everyone can be as manly as me." He thumped himself on the chest for effect.

In answer to his obnoxiousness, Lukas slapped the back of his head. "Go to sleep, it's almost midnight." He flicked off the lights and headed up the stairs. Once in his room, he locked the door; often, he woke up to find Mathias sprawled and snoring on his carpet.

Lukas looked at the mirror on his wall and frowned. _I don't look girly..._ he thought. He lifted his arms to shoulder height and looked himself over. Yes, he was a bit bony. Yes, he was rather small. Yes, his face looked similar to a girl's. _But I'm not a girl_, he desperately thought. _I'm a _boy. _Mathias is just being...Mathias. Maybe he's gotten himself high off of Nutella again..._**(I don't own Nutella. But I do own my very own jar of it. AND IT'S MINE. :U)**

Lukas flopped on top of the covers face-first. He pulled his hand close to his face. _Oh, man, he's right...this is a girl hand..._ he thought as he examined the delicate bone structure, thin fingers, pale skin, and long, perfectly oval nails. He flipped over to face the ceiling. Turning his head, he saw his picture wall; everything he drew was taped sooner or later on this wall. It was almost covered with pictures of goblins and trolls and other magical creatures from Norwegian mythology.

Lukas' eyelids got heavy, and he drifted into a dreamless slumber.

XXX

When he woke up, sunlight was streaming through his window and birds were singing. He wondered how he ever was able to sleep. Lukas stood and stretched. He took one step and fell over something warm.

"Ack! Mathias!" he yelped in surprise as he fell to the ground. Mathias jerked awake as Lukas' legs fell on his stomach.

"Ah!" he yelped. "Oh. Hey, Luke." Mathias' expression of terror morphed to one of tired smugness.

"I locked my door last night," Lukas said accusingly, standing up again.

"Plenty of metal hangers around," Mathias responded happily through a yawn. He stretched luxuriously on the floor.

"You picked the lock?" Lukas asked, raising a disapproving eyebrow.

"No, I gave it to Alfred's pet alien," Mathias joked, sitting up and rubbing at his eyes.

"Thank you, Senor Sarcasm..." Lukas said grumpily, rubbing the sore spot on his head.

"Right back at'cha!" Mathias said cheerily, standing up and wandering out of the room. "You want food?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming..." Lukas responded, following him.

Lukas was so tired, he almost fell asleep in his bowl of cereal. Mathias poked him to keep him awake. Finally, after Lukas' head drooped a third time, Mathias said, "Alright, I'm making you some coffee."

"...I don't want coffee," Lukas mumbled, watching his food deteriorate into mush. But Mathias pushed a mug of the brown liquid in front of him, ordering, "Drink it."

"No," Lukas muttered, taking another bite of the cereal, which turned disgusting.

"Drink it."

"No."

"Lukas, drink the dang coffee."

"No."

Mathias dumped the coffee in his cereal.

"Hey!" Lukas protested, giving a bleary-eyed glare at him.

"Drink it," he said, pushing the mug, which was now half-empty, at the Norwegian.

"Fine, I'll drink your stupid coffee..." Lukas muttered testily. He picked up the warm mug and tentatively took a sip. He spit it out in his cereal bowl.

"What?" Mathias laughed as Lukas gave him a look of deep disgust.

"What the crap is this?" he asked angrily.

"It's coffee, it's good!" he said, taking a sip from his own mug.

"It's bitter!" Lukas exclaimed.

"What do you expect!" Mathias laughed.

Emil poked his head in the room. "It's too early for this, go back to sleep or be quiet!" he said, glaring at them from tired violet eyes.

"It's seven-fifteen!" Mathias called back. "And if you have COFFEE to wake you up...!" He nudged Lukas playfully as he named the drink.

"Shut. Up," Lukas mumbled, rubbing at his eyes.

"Whatever," Mathias chuckled.

The room was silent.

Finally, Mathias said, "Hey, wanna go pull a prank of Berwald and Tino?"

"No."

"What about the Bad Touch Trio? Show 'em who's boss?" he suggested cheerfully.

"No."

"...Hm...Running out of options here, Luke..." Mathias mused. "What if we set Emil up with that girl from Hong Kong? Everyone knows he has a crush on her!"

Emil, from the stairs, chorused with Lukas. "No!"

"Well, what do you want to do?" Mathias asked, obviously irritated.

"I don't know," he answered, putting his dishes in the sink.

"Hm...What if we went to the mall and tried to get you a girlfriend?"

"Then I'd push you in the fountain."

"You're no fun," Mathias pouted. "Well, what if we went to the mall and tried to get me a girlfriend?"

"Fine, whatever..." Lukas responded dully, getting up. "Go home and get changed. Come knock on the door when you're done." Mathias looked disappointed when Lukas specified where to enter.

Lukas trudged back up to his room. Again, he stopped at the mirror. "I don't look girly..." he told himself. Lukas got dressed. Today he wore a white T-shirt under a blue button-up shirt and jeans. He put his hat on his head and reached for his bobby-pins. Suddenly, he stopped. Lukas looked in the mirror. He pulled back his bangs, examined himself for a moment, and then let his bangs loose. He did that a few times, deciding. Finally, he left the clips on his dresser. He grabbed his sketchbook and two pencils and went downstairs.

As he was pulling on his tennis shoes, he noted how weird it felt to have his hair loose like this; it kept falling in his eyes. _But if it makes me look less girly..._

Almost as soon as he was done, Mathias knocked on the door in a pattern. Lukas opened it, yelled over his shoulder, "I'll be back by noon!" (to which Emil replied, "Whatever!"), and was off.

The mall was only a few blocks from their houses, so they rode their bikes. Lukas held his sketchpad in his hand, and his pencils were tucked safely in his back pocket. They locked their bikes to the bike rack after noticing Gilbert Belishmidt's van.

Once in the mall, Mathias dragged Lukas to Hot Topic **(is the disclaimer even necessary? I'm a teenage girl, do I look like I own awesome companies like Hot Topic?)**. Lukas amused himself by silently making fun of the odd objects in there while Mathias tried to flirt with the girl behind the register.. Did girls really wear this sort of stuff? **(I actually like Hot Topic a lot. :3)**

The girl Mathias was flirting with turned out to be very scary, so the trembling Dane dragged Lukas out by his sleeve.

"Well, what did you expect?" Lukas asked as Mathias tried to get over the shock.

"A girlfriend!" he answered, agitatedly running his fingers through his hair.

Once Mathias had returned to his happy-go-lucky attitude, they tried a number of different stores, all of which were unsuccessful for Mathias; Lukas was quite amused each time his flirting failed him. Finally, he sat on a bench with his head in his hands, whining to Lukas.

"Why don't they like me~?" he complained.

"What's there to like?"

"Hey, that was mean," Mathias pouted.

"You asked."

Mathias sighed; Lukas is being Lukas. After a while, he looked over at Lukas' stetch pad. "What're you drawing, anyway?"

"It's a troll, don't you see it?" Lukas asked.

"Why would you draw something like that, they're not real."

Lukas calmly looked up at Mathias, but there was a stubborn fire in his dull eyes. "Yes they are."

"No they're not. Fictional creatures."

Lukas was determined. "They're real. There's one right here, actually." He pointed next to him. In Lukas' eyes, standing next to him and patiently waiting for his portrait to be drawn was a troll. It had a very small head and a very large body. It was wearing a white shirt with a green vest, and brown trousers. Upon recognition, the troll looked at Mathias through coal black eyes and lifted its meaty hand in a greeting.

But to Mathias, there was nothing but empty air. "Seriously?"

"Yes."

"When we were kids this was funny, dude, but there's nothing there. How long are you going to pretend?"

"I'm not pretending," Lukas said placidly. "He's right here. He's actually quite friendly; most trolls would've pushed us out of their way, but this guy wanted me to draw his picture."

Mathias took a minute to process this. "Real funny," he said.

"It's not a joke." There was a cross tone lingering in Lukas' voice. "Here." He took Mathias' hand and put it on the troll's head. Once Lukas let go, Mathias' head fell through the air.

"You feeling okay, brochacho?" Mathias asked.

"Yes, and please don't call me that," Lukas said. _Brochacho...who gave him _that_ idea?_

"You're cra~zy~" Mathias sang, poking Lukas on the cheek. Said Norwegian swatted his hand away.

"I'm perfectly sane, thank you very much."

"You're welcome very much, asylum-escapee number five hundred thirty-eight."

"I'm not crazy. You're the crazy one," Lucas said.

Mathias studied him for a while, then said, "Ah ha!"

"What?"

"I knew something was weird with you. You're missing your clippies," he said matter-of-factly. A second passed, and then Mathias gasped and yelled, "WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY BEST FRIEND?" while shaking Lukas.

Lukas elbowed him in the stomach. Mathias pulled his hands away very fast.

"I _am_ Lukas," Lukas said testily. "I didn't want to wear them today. So I didn't."

"_Didn't want to wear them!_" Mathias cried out dramatically. "That's like Alfred not wanting to wear his bomber jacket, or Ivan not wanting to wear his scarf, of Yao wanting to cut his hear! _It just doesn't happen._ Seriously, which asylum did you escape from?"

"What I do is not your business, Mathias," Lukas said. The tip of his pencil broke. Lukas stared at it for a second before pulling out the other one.

Mathias sighed. "Let's go home."

"Agreed."

XXXX

Once home, Mathias separated to go to his own house. Lukas walked in and announced his presence quietly to his house; his parents were at work, and Emil was out with friends.

Walking down the hall to the stairs, he stopped at the mirror and looked at himself. His ashy hair fell over his eyes. Lukas didn't want to move it. A green house ghost swooped down and wrapped itself around Lukas' shoulders. When he was looking straight at it, the ghost was clearly there. He gave a small laugh when the ghost tickled him. Then Lukas pointed his head back to the mirror. All he saw was himself.

_Maybe I am crazy...Scizronophobic, at the least..._he thought sadly. Tentatively, he reached out to pat the ghost on the head. His hand passed through it and touched his neck.

Lukas looked back at the mirror. _Girly._ _Crazy. Mathias is right..._

He took his sketchbook and ripped out the picture of the troll. "Trolls don't exist," he told himself firmly as he crumpled the paper and tossed it on the ground.

"Hey, Luke's family!" an obnoxious voice called. "Oh, wait, no one's here. Hi, Luke!" Mathias called. Lukas looked in that direction; the ghost uncurled itself from the boy's shoulders and vanished.

"Hello, Mathias," Lukas said.

"Lookie, I brought you a cookie!" the boy grinned, holding it out in his hand.

"You're a poet," Lukas said sarcastically; he reached out for the cookie anyway.

It had a bite missing.

Mathias brushed a crumb from his face and grinned evilly. Lukas rolled his eyes and ate it either way.

"You've got me-germs now," Mathias snickered. In answer, Lukas punched him.

"Does it look like I care?" he asked.

"Well, what's got your panties in a twist, Luke?" Mathias grumbled good-naturedly. He didn't answer.

"C'mon, spill," Mathias said, poking Lukas' arm.

After a few seconds of silence Lukas asked, "Am I really that girly and crazy?"

"What?" Mathias asked.

"You heard me."

"Is that why you took your clippies out?" he asked.

"Would you just be normal and call them clips?"

"That's no fun. Answer me," Mathias said.

"Yes."

"Seriously?" Mathias asked. "I was just joking!"

"You didn't sound like you were joking..." Lukas said.

Mathias looked down, ashamed. "I didn't mean it that way." His eyes met the crumpled paper. He picked it up and smoothed it out.

No one said anything for a while. Mathias was the first to speak. "I didn't know it bugged you so much..."

"I'm probably over-reacting," Lukas said quickly.

"How 'bout we both just forget this?" Mathias said. "Still bro's?" He held his hand out in the 'fist-bump' gesture.

Lukas rolled his eyes and let a small smile on his lips before fist-bumping his 'bro.'

"So..." Mathias said, glancing back at the paper in his hand. "Teach me about these thingys you like so much."

**YAY! :3 I finished it in a day, and I like it. That's a first. :3 **

**So, all y'all get what I'm trying to say with this? Sometimes we say mean things to our friends without really realizing how much we're hurting them. But, if you do accidentially hurt them, you can still be tight, yo. :B *brick'd* **

**"I'm at a pay~phone, trying to call home, all of my change I've spent on you~ Where has the time~ gone, baby it's all wrong, where are the plans we made for two~? If happy ever after did exist, I would still be holding you like this~ and all them fairytales are full of it~ one more stupid love song, I'll be sick~ Now I'm at a payphone~" FREAKING LOVE THIS SONG X3 MAROON FIVE! **

**HOW 'BOUT SOME REVIEWS FOR NOT BEING LAZY? :D **


	9. Don't tell

**HAY GUYS! :D Slightly quick update! Yay!**

**Quinn Fiberoptic: X3 Gracias, mi amiga~!**

**ChubbyCubby23: You are absolutely, positively right. I think I vaguely mentioned this, but didn't say it outright. And I wanna thank you so much, because you just gave me another idea. Like, Russia only picked on Liet because General Winter picks on him at home. And it's so awesome that I need to do it this chapter. Thank you very much! :D *hugs***

**AshMeowsYaoi: Thanks! Sorry, though, it's not going to have yaoi. Homophobic Bullying, yes, but not yaoi. I hope that doesn't hinder your opinion of this. ^_^**

**Guest: Some people just don't know when to stop. Yeah, I can picture what happened. Sometimes, you just gotta give them a good talking-to...it's weird how people avoided you for doing the right thing, but not the bully for hurting a girl...or did they? Oh, well. XD Thanks! **

**EnharmonicAngel: It's okey. X3 Yesh, Norway isht epicness. **

**Guest (again!): Yeah, I was planning him for ignoring-bullying. Like, he makes China mad, and everyone else has better things to do, and, yeah. Stuff like that. :B**

**Art and Soul: Grazie, mia sorella~! :3**

**ZeldaLove Akira-Chan: I knowww...I don't read much Nordics either, but that's because there isn't a lot of Nordic stories. Gracias, mi amiga~! :D**

**CelticGirl7: Yeah, Denmark has 'verbal diherra'. XD It's when you can't stop talking, just like...never mind, you get it. XD Yep, it was kind of awkward and OOC at the ending for both of them...Oh well! :3**

**caset290: I'm friends with my sister! :D Yeah, I think a lot of people might accidentally to this to their friends/ sister-friends. :3 **

**Any-Clan/ Guest: That's a funny story, actually. My sister was texting a person, and he didn't want her to keep calling him 'Dude.' So, she asked what she should call him. He said Brochacho. XD I just thought that was funny, so I included it in Denmark's vocab. XD**

**EqualDemise731: I'm a misssfittt. It's okay, though, because I have internet friends. I'm all, "Whatever, people on the internet like me." D: Whoa, bad friend! Dame desu! *smacks with a rolled-up newspaper* Concrete is bad! No throwing! D: **

**Guest (again-again!): I never was bullied, but I was just kinda...there. I think it would help if I wasn't sociophobic. XD**

**Canadagirl52: O/U/O Ve~ Grazie~! Okay! **

**Okey, hi everybody! How's everyone doing? :B **

**Okay, here's how the next couple of chapters will be...**

_**-Homophobic Bullying **_

**Victim: Sweden**

**Bully: will be decided later (most likely an OC) **

_**-Bullying in relationships/ verbal/ physical**_

**Victims: Hungary and Austria**

**Bully: Prussia**

_**-Ignoring**_

**Victim: S. Korea**

**Bully: everyone**

_**-Bullying at home**_

**Victim: Russia**

**Bully: General Winter**

**And that's what I got. It probably won't be in that order; like I said, it depends on what mood I'm in. :B **

**ChubbyCubby23 is the genius behind this chapter. She (I'm assuming you're female. Most Hetalia fans are girls. Sorry if you're a guy. ^_^) was so right, because I completely forgot about this. Bullies aren't completely evil people. There has to be a reason to why you feel the need to hurt someone, and it's usually not because you wake up one day and decide, "Hey, I think I'll just pound this guy into dust." In this chapter, you get to see why Russia was so mean to Liet. I'm doing this one now because I could see it better than the other possible chapters. Thanks again, Cubby-Chan! :3**

**Um, and the General Winter part in the Vietnam War isn't really accurate. :B**

**Alright, I'll shut up and write. :B**

Bullying at home

The wind and rain flowed through his silver-blonde hair. His violet eyes scanned the forest hungrily, trying to see through the dark. He was glad for this time of peace, this small alone time that helped him get his head together. It wouldn't be long before...

"IVAN!"

...Before _that_ happened.

"D-da, General Winter?" Ivan asked, turning to face his cruel uncle. He had always been forced to call his uncle General: It pleased the war veteran.

You'd think that all war veterans would be peaceful, happy people. General Winter was not. The man came back from war as a hero. He fought valiantly in the Vietnam War, rescuing Americans despite his Russian roots. However, something changed in the man's heart. He left as a happy, boisterous teen.

He came back as a solemn man.

He wouldn't talk at all about what had happened that caused him to mature so quickly. He never would. Some say he lost his best friend. Others say his sweetheart wrote him, telling him she found someone else. Whatever it was, General Winter lost the will to live, causing him to charge the camp where hundreds of Americans were held as prisoners of war. It was attempted suicide, but success in freeing the men disguised it as heroism.

After a few years, Winter worked his way up to be a real General. However, in his last battle, he lost a leg. He was sent home immediately.

Of course, he came back to open arms. He, however, chose alcohol over his family.

When Ivan's sister, Yekaterina (nicknamed Kat) was born, he pretended to care. He attended the baby shower and sent a card after she was born. When Ivan was born, he told his brother that he "couldn't care less about the little brat," as he took another deep swallow of vodka.

A year later, General Winter had been sent to rehab by his new wife. No longer an alcoholic, he rejoiced in the birth of Natalya.

Then, General Winter lost his wife in a car accident. He sank back into his old habits.

A few years later, Ivan's parents died in an uncontrollable house fire. General Winter sobered up and took in Ivan and his sisters for the sake of his poor, beloved brother.

More years past, and General Winter couldn't resist the alcohol. He became abusive.

As Ivan lied on the ground, bleeding from a thin cut on his neck, General Winter became aware of what he did. He apologized. Ivan accepted, knowing that his uncle was not himself. General Winter tried to stay sober after that, but he simply didn't seem to care anymore. The beating Ivan suffered became more intense. Ivan always stopped General Winter from going after Kat or Natalya, causing more injuries for himself.

Ivan knew that it was time for him to stop. He tried to talk to him. It didn't work. He didn't want to tell the police; General Winter, no matter how repulsive, was their guardian. Who would look after him and his sisters?

Soon after, Kat got a new apartment. Ivan's hopes soared. He was about to go and ask to move in with her when he heard her talking to her boss about money problems. Kat was poor. Ivan would have to be brave for a little while longer.

Over the past year, Ivan found an outlet for his built up stress. His friend, Toris. Every so often, Ivan would hurt Toris like General Winter hurt him. If Ivan had to hurt, he would make others hurt, as well. It was only fair that way.

At the same time, General Winter began having poker parties. He would invite his drinking-buddies over to gamble, snack, and, of course, drink. And Ivan was there to be his waiter and punching bag.

"GET IN HERE AND SERVE MY FRIENDS!" General Winter yelled. He was obviously dead drunk.

Ivan nodded weakly. "D-da. Sorry, sir..." Before he scurried inside, he took off his scarf and stuffed it in his pocket. The scarf was for covering the many cuts and bruises on his neck. If he wore it in front of the General, he would pull on the ends, choking Ivan.

The inside of the small cottage, which always smelled of vodka, smelled of dirty bodies. Ivan held his breath as he scampered into the kitchen and fetched several more bottles of pure Russian vodka. He set it on the table where the General's "friends" played poker. Then he ran back in the kitchen before he could get hurt.

One by one, General Winter's friends passed out, their faces landing in bowls of pretzels or their piles of poker chips. The General took a sip of vodka straight from the bottle. He sighed and squinted at the table, his eyes full of tears. "I miss you, Vera," he whispered. Vera was his wife. Ivan stared at his uncle. He wasn't a bad man. He was just in bad times.

_I'm not bad, am I? _Ivan thought suddenly. _Because I hurt Toris? _

"Ivan, you worthless brat, get over here," the General growled suddenly. Meekly, Ivan obeyed. Immediately, a fist hit his exposed neck.

Ivan gagged, falling over. He coughed a few times, trying to make his trachea work. "It's _your_ fault!" General Winter screamed at him. "I don't know how you did it, but it's all your fault!"

"I was a toddler!" Ivan yelled back without thinking. He clapped his hands over his mouth in horror.

"Are you talking back to me?" Winter asked in a deadly whisper. The stench of alcohol invaded Ivan's nostrils. When Ivan didn't answer, he repeated himself, shouting. "ARE-YOU-TALKING-BACK-TO-ME!" With every word, the General delivered a blow to the boy.

"Nyet!" Ivan cried, holding his hands over his head to try to ward off the attack. "I wasn't! Please!"

"Hey, Winter, leave the kid 'lone," one of the General's buddies mumbled thickly, raising his head. A pretzel stuck to the side of his face.

The General gave one more kick to Ivan's side. "Whatever..." he mumbled. He sat back down in his seat, and his head drooped. It fell on the table with a loud _thunk_, and the large bottle of vodka fell over and poured itself on the floor.

Ivan stood up and fled to his room. He took off his tan T-shirt and stared at the new bruises forming all over his body. It was hard to tell which ones were new and which were old. The largest seemed to be on his neck. He already had multiple cuts littering his neck and shoulders. The biggest number of cuts was on his back, and the biggest number of bruises was on his arms and shoulders.

With a heavy heart, Ivan shrugged his large winter coat over his bare shoulders, ignoring the temperature. He curled up on his bed and buried his face in his hands.

_Still think General Winter is a good man in bad times?_

XXXXXXXXXX

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Bee-CRUNCH._ The obnoxiously loud beeping of the alarm clock stopped abruptly as Ivan slammed his fist on the snooze button. It was actually a wonder that the clock still worked, considering all the times Ivan had treated it harshly.

Ivan groaned, rubbing his purple eyes. He didn't want to get up. He didn't want to go to school. He didn't want to continue being avoided like he was a psychopath.

_Well, I guess I am a psychopath,_ Ivan thought tiredly. If people avoided him before, that was nothing compared to now. Ever since he got back from suspension, people made a path for him before he even started walking down the hall. The seats around him were always empty, unless the class in question was full. Even in that scenario, people would argue in a whisper about who would sit closest to Ivan.

He would always smile, trying to show them that he wasn't going to hurt them, but that just made things worse. People would start shaking.

No one had any idea how _lonely_ Ivan was. No one had any idea how badly Ivan was hurting. Natalya had recently made a friend. Her name was Lilli Zwingli, Vash Zwingli's little sister. That part Ivan was a bit worried about; Vash is very protective of Lilli.

Meanwhile, Ivan was here, completely friendless.

Ivan dressed himself in a white T-shirt and blue jeans. He stopped before leaving his room. Ivan decided to hide the scars on his arms with a black over-shirt. And, of course, his trusty scarf.

Ivan grabbed his backpack and quietly made his way down the stairs. His uncle's door was closed. Natalya's door was open, and the room was empty, showing Ivan that she was elsewhere. He found her sitting at the table, hastily eating a bowl of cereal.

"I heard shouting last night," she says. "Are you okay?"

"Da, I am fine," he says with a smile. Ivan grabs a bowl and fills it with cereal and milk, and he drinks it over the sink, making up for lost time. Wiping milk from his mouth, he asked, "Are you ready to go?"

"Da," Natalya says, standing up and slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

"Let's go, then," he says, making his way toward the door.

They go to the bus stop, standing next to a puddle; it rained the night before. Finally, Ivan spotted the yellow of the bus in the distance.

And at that moment, General Winter's angry voice floated down the street. "HEY!"

"Oh, crap," Ivan hissed. "Hurry, hurry, hurry..." he moaned quietly in the direction of the school bus.

"Ivan, what's wrong?" Natalya asked.

"Eh? Oh, nothing, nothing," Ivan answered.

"HEY! I _THOUGHT_ YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO CLEAN MY HOUSE, YOU LITTLE-" General Winter shouted, hobbling towards them on his plastic leg.

"What's the General talking about?" Natalya asked.

"Nothing," Ivan answered quickly. "Just ignore him. When the bus comes, get on first."

"Alright, but-"

"Please, Natalya, don't argue," Ivan said.

"He hurt you again, didn't he?" she guessed.

"Nyet," he said quickly.

"Don't lie to me, brother," she said, glaring daggers at him.

"No, it's okay," Ivan said.

"Ivan..." she said, her voice low.

"Alright, fine, he hit me a few times, but it's nothing to worry about!" Ivan confessed. The bus pulled up. Natalya got on, still glaring at Ivan. Ivan quickly jumped on, and the doors shut in General Winter's face.

"Go, go, go, go, go!" Ivan said to the bus driver.

He narrowed his eyes at him. "You wanna drive?"

"No, sir," Ivan said with a creepy smile. The bus driver paled and stepped on the gas.

Ivan followed Natalya down the aisle. People all around stopped their conversations and stared at Ivan as he passed. Today, he didn't have the strength to smile at them, causing little hissing to go around the bus.

They sat in the very back. "Tell me what happened, Ivan," Natalya demanded.

"It's was nothing. He was drunk," Ivan said hastily.

"He's always drunk," Natalya retorted. "How many times did he hit you?"

"I didn't count," Ivan said.

Without a word, Natalya lifted his scarf. "Hey!" Ivan yelped.

Natalya stared emotionlessly at the new bruise forming on the side of his neck. Finally, she said through gritted teeth, "He should be in jail."

"Natalya, he was drunk! He's not himself when he's drunk!" Ivan protested.

"I don't know why you always stick up to him, brother!" Natalya said heatedly.

Ivan pulled his scarf up to his chin. "He's the only family we have left," he reminded her. "If he were in jail, where would we go?"

"We could go to Kat's house!" she answered.

"She's tight on money," he said. "I couldn't do that to her."

Natalya seemed to admit defeat, seeing as she was silent the rest of the way.

When they got to school, Natalya went to the ninth grade hallway, and Ivan to the tenth. As usual, the crowd of people parted themselves for Ivan. Ivan's first period was gym, so he dropped his backpack off at his locker and headed down to the gym.

In the gym, all conversations in the boy's locker room stopped immediately. Ivan sighed and made his way to his gym locker in the corner.

Ivan waited until he was the last one in there until taking off his shirt; he didn't care about being tardy. Again, he stopped and examined himself in the mirror, counting all the bruises and cuts. He got to twenty-four when the door opened.

Ivan jumped, and whirled around. Toris stood frozen by the door, still in his regular clothes. It seemed he was late in coming in. "U-uh...H-hi..." he said awkwardly. He wobbled a little on his crutches.

Ivan noticed how Toris' green eyes lingered over his chest, arms, and neck. Quickly, Ivan turned back around, only to feel Toris' eyes piercing his back. He put his gym clothes on and pushed past Toris, twirling his scarf around his neck as he left.

"Late again, Ivan," the gym teacher said.

"Da, I know," he answered tiredly. He joined his classmates running around the gym.

By the time he was done running, Toris was back. "Toris, I think you'll be able to do this with the class," the teacher said. Toris nodded.

"Badminton," the teacher announced. "Don't bother grabbing at your friends. I'm picking partners." The class groaned.

He began pairing the students together, girl to boy.

Ivan watched as Alfred was paired with Lovina, Elizabeta with Ludwig, Feli with Roderich, Maddie with Gilbert, Sakura with Vash, Alice with Yao, a Taiwanese girl named Mei with Antonio, and Lixie with a Korean boy named Yong Soo. "Ivan," the teacher said, "you're going to have to be paired with Toris. Play nice."

Great. Even the teacher was afraid of him.

Ivan smiled and nodded.

Toris paled and started shaking.

"You guys have probably noticed by now, but I paired you with someone you don't seem to be familiar with. It's a good way to make friends," the teacher said. Ivan shrugged and grabbed two rackets from the bin, and he handed one to Toris. He had left his crutches on the side on the gym, out of the way. He was barely balancing. "T-thanks," Toris muttered.

"You're welcome," Ivan said.

"Alright! Alfred and Lovina, you're against Feli and Roderich. Lizzie and Ludwig, you're against Maddie and Gil. Sakura and Vash, you're with Alice and Yao. Mei and Toni, you're with Lixie and Yong Soo. Ivan, you're against Toris. Everybody pick a court and start playing!"

Ivan grabbed a plastic birdie and stood in front of a court. Toris limped over to the other side of the net, gripping his racket tightly. He softly hit the birdie over the net. Toris swatted furiously at it, but only succeded in sending the birdie under the net and knocking himself down.

Ivan ducked under the net and held his hand out for Toris to take. When he did tentatively, Ivan pulled him up and steadied him. Then he went back to his side of the net and served again.

And again, Toris flailed madly and fell over. "S-sorry!" he yelped, standing up on his own, wobbling, and falling again.

"I do not think you're ready to play yet," Ivan pointed out as he helped the Lithuanian up again.

"Yeah, me n-neither," Toris said with a breathy laugh.

After a moment of silence, Ivan said quietly, "I'm sorry."

"Wh-what?" Toris asked, looking bewildered.

"I'm sorry," he said again, louder. "I'm sorry I broke your leg and caused you so much pain." Ivan couldn't look Toris in the eye, so he suddenly became very interested in the handle of the racket.

Toris was silent for a minute.

Two minutes.

Then he said, "I'll f-forgive you if you t-tell me wh-why you're covered in scars."

Ivan was silent for a minute. Then he sighed. "I'm not sure I want to tell you."

"Y-you didn't...?"

"No, I didn't do it to myself," Ivan said, strumming the racket like a guitar.

"Th-then how-"

"It is personal," Ivan said firmly, ending the conversation.

"Hey, you two!" the teacher called. "Why aren't you playing?"

"I k-kept falling over!" Toris called back.

"Alright, go change out and come back. Ivan, join Ludwig and Lizzie's team."

Ivan did as he was told. He had always liked Ludwig; he seemed less afraid of him than everyone else.

Gilbert kept running away from the birdie whenever Ivan hit it at him, causing Maddie to smirk.She didn't seem too afraid of Ivan; maybe they could be friends...?

The bell rung, causing a mad rush to the locker rooms. Ivan decided to change inside a stall.

After gym, second period for him was language arts. Third period was drama, and then it was lunch time.

Ivan walked down the hall, effortlessly parting the crowd. As usual, he sat down at an empty table, and no one made any move to sit with him.

Then, the impossible happened: _three_ people sat with him.

Ivan looked bewilderedly at Maddie, Toris, and Lixie. "You looked like you needed a friend," Maddie explained from next to him. Toris gave a shaky smile from across the table. Diagonally across from Ivan, next to Toris, Lixie pouted.

"This was, like, totally not my idea," she huffed.

"She doesn't like you," Maddie said bluntly.

"Da, most people don't," Ivan said. "I would expect for you two to not like me, considering I beat you up and sat on you," he added, pointing at Toris and Maddie.

Maddie shrugged. "It's alright; most people hardly notice me. I get sat on a lot, I'm used to it."

Toris only shrugged.

"So, is there any particular reason you have suddenly decided to sit with me?" Ivan asked.

"We told you," Maddie said. "You looked like you needed a friend."

Ivan raised an eyebrow at her. "That it all, da?"

"You haven't been smiling lately; something's wrong."

Ivan grinned. "I am smiling now. Nothing is wrong."

"You're covered in scars," Toris added.

Ivan glared at him. "I said that was personal."

Lixie glared at him. "If you, like, try to hurt Toris again, I'll totally knock the freaking crap out of you," she warned.

"Down, girl," Maddie said. Lixie glared at him for a few more seconds to make her message clear, and she went back to her food.

Toris looked down. "I told them about your scars, but I'm really really sorry..." he mumbled in Ivan's direction.

"...And, somehow I've been unofficially elected to be the counselor, and I wanted to help," Maddie said.

"There's nothing you can do to help, though," Ivan said.

"Why? Is it something at home?" Maddie asked.

"Have you somehow turned into your cousin?" Ivan asked rudely, nodding behind him at Alfred, who was currently yelling something about heroes with him mouth full of hamburger.

"No, I just...thought talking would...help," Maddie said awkwardly.

"One cannot simply talk away their problems," Ivan said. "Especially a problem like mine."

"It helps if you're keeping everything bottled in," Maddie says.

"You are increasingly stubborn and pushy these days, da?" Ivan pointed out.

"I've noticed that too," Toris said.

Maddie shrugged.

"I _can't_ tell you," Ivan said.

"Why not?"

"My uncle would go to jail and my and my sister would be in foster care."

"...Oh, just that," Maddie said after a while.

"...Your uncle did _that_ to you...?" Toris asks.

Ivan looks at his hands, unable to say a word.

"Ivan, that's child abuse! He _should_ be in-"

"My uncle is not a bad man," Ivan interjects.

"He _beats_ you!"

"He doesn't know what he's doing when he's drunk!" Ivan protests. "And, besides, I deserve it, with the way I treat people."

"...No you don't," Toris said quietly. "No one deserves that. It's torture."

Ivan remained silent.

"...Well, what about your older sister? Doesn't she have a place of her own?" Maddie asked.

"Yes, but she is so poor. If I asked her, she would feel very guilty and most likely would start crying," Ivan explained.

"...Oh."

"...And you said you're afraid of going to foster care?" Toris asked quietly.

Ivan nodded. "I have no other family, you see."

"I am adopted. Raivis and Eduard are adopted, too. We hardly know each other, yet we're brothers. Sakura's entire family is adopted, right? There are a lot of adopted kids here," Toris said.

"I bet they were adopted as babies, though," Ivan said. "A transition like that in high school is not something I would like to go through."

"Still, your uncle shouldn't beat you, whether he's drunk or not!" Maddie interjected.

"He's been through difficult times."

"That's no excuse."

"Yes it is," Ivan said. "You don't know what he's been through."

"That doesn't give him the right to hurt you as badly as he is!"

"Da, but-...But-..." Ivan stuttered himself to a stop. Maddie raised an eyebrow at him.

"You'll have to stand up to him sooner or later," she pointed out.

"...I choose later, da?"

"Ivan...!"

"Look, I will be out of school in a few years. I will get my own house then," Ivan said.

The bell rung. Ivan stood up without a word and exited for his next class, not bothering to bid his tablemates goodbye.

Toris and Maddie looked at each other sadly; Lixie jumped up and sped to class when the bell rang. "I never knew..." Toris said ruefully.

"Me neither..."

Ivan's next class was science. It was also Toris', Maddie's, and Lixie's next class. Ivan sighed and took his seat in the back of the class. This lesson had something to do with rivers, but Ivan forgot exactly what it was about.

The next class was geography. Ivan made sure he didn't sit on Maddie or anyone else.

The last period of the day was math. Ivan remained silent the entire class period, trying without success to focus on his algebra problems. Finally, he stopped pretending he was even bothering with the worksheet and stared out the window. He tapped his pencil against the desk repeatedly, trying to make sense of the conversation he had at lunch.

_Should_ he really call the police...?

_Once more,_ he told himself. _If the General hits me once more, I'll call the police._

XXXXXXXX

Ivan really wished the General would clean up after himself; the house was a complete mess. Poker chips and potato chips alike were strewn across the room. Vodka was spilled on almost every surface. The house smelled of alcohol and dirty bodies. Broken plates littered the kitchen floor.

Ivan inched carefully through the wreckage, glad that Natalya was invited over to Lilli's house for the afternoon. He climbed the stairs and went to his room, locking his door. He flopped on his bed, worn out.

After a few minutes of simply breathing, Ivan sat up and started doing his homework. He was almost done when his door flew off its hinges.

General Winter stood in the empty doorframe, panting heavily. "My house is still a mess," he pointed out.

Ivan nodded shakily, trying to summon all his courage. "It's y-your house," he said, attempting the cocky, arrogant tone that Alfred always uses. He didn't recreate it very well.

"And you live here," the General pointed out. "Now clean."

Ivan shook his head. "Uncle, listen to me. I am n-not your slave. I am not your punching bag. If you even try to hurt me one more time, I w-_will_ call the police."

The General threw back his head and laughed. "You'll call the police?" he repeated. "That's a good one. You're funny, now go clean." He ended with a stern note.

"Y-_you_ go clean," Ivan countered. _Best. Comeback. Ever,_ Ivan thought sarcastically to himself.

"Are you talking back to me, you ungrateful little brat? I clothe you. I feed you. I provide a roof over your head. The _least_ you can do is clean up!" the General snarled.

"You give me the clothes you're done with, you give me the scraps you've finished, and the roof leaks. You're not fit to be a guardian," Ivan said, finally being successful in imitating a firm tone of voice.

The General lifted his fist, and Ivan flinched. "I'm n-not putting up with that any l-longer, General," Ivan said, trying to look cross instead of plain terrified.

The two glared at each other.

Then, General Winter punched Ivan on the jaw.

"I should've kicked you out a long time ago," he growled.

Ivan opened and closed his mouth, testing to make sure his jaw was still intact. "I'm calling the police," he decided.

The General stood firm in front of the door. "Oh, no you're not," he snarled.

And so began the worst beating Ivan had ever gotten.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Do you want me to come with you? I'd love to meet your uncle!" Lilli said as Natalya got out of Vash's car.

"No thanks. And, trust me on this, you don't want to meet him," Natalya said. "Bye."

"Bye! See you tomorrow!" Lilli chirped, waving. Vash nodded his head in goodbye.

Natalya opened the door to their pitiful excuse for a house. The usual smells of alcohol and dirt met her, but there was something else that Natalya couldn't quite place her finger on. It was kind of a rusty smell. Metallic. A bit salty.

To her relief, General Winter was nowhere to be found. _Ivan should be here, too,_ she thought. _If uncle did anything to my brother, I'll kill him._

Natalya went upstairs. Ivan's door was...not there. _Uh-oh..._

Natalya rushed to Ivan's doorframe and gasped. Lying in a pool of his own blood was Ivan. Both of his eyes were blackened, he had a few nasty bruises and cuts, and his scarf was lying around the room in shreds.

Natalya screamed.

"Ivan!" she shrieked. "Ivan!" She knelt next to him and shook his shoulders. He groaned. _Good, he's still alive..._Natalya thought.

The door downstairs opened. "Natalya!" Vash and Lilli chorused.

"I'm up here! It's not me, it's- it's Ivan!" she called. Their footsteps bounded up the stairs. Vash appeared first. Where did he get that pistol...? _Never mind. I don't wanna know._

Lilli ran in Ivan's room and knelt next to Natalya. Vash squatted on the other side of Ivan's limp body.

"He'll need stitches here, and a cast here," Vash mused out loud, pointing at a deep cut on Ivan's hairline and at his wrist. "Call an ambulance," he said to Lilli.

Lilli nodded and pulled out a cell phone. She spoke to the operator in a calm, clear voice while Natalya was still beside herself.

"I'm going to _kill _him! That _stupid_ man, how could he _do_ this!" Natalya shrieked.

"Calm down," Vash said.

"Don't you _dare_ tell me to calm down, you stupid gun freak!" she hissed.

Lilli finished the phone call and wrapped Natalya in an embrace. Natalya struggled for a little bit, then stopped and let the girl hug her. She stared at her brother's still form until the paramedics arrived and whisked him off to the hospital. Vash drove Lilli and Natalya along.

When they got there, they were told to wait until the doctors were done. Natalya did so with a glare and a scowl at everything.

Finally, the doctor came out of the room. "He has a minor concussion, a sprained wrist and a few deep cuts. He was never in any real danger," she added to Natalya.

"May I go see him?" she asked.

"Yes. He's awake, but resting," the doctor said.

Natalya entered to see Ivan on a hospital bed with bandages around his head and wrist. "D'you still think the General shouldn't be in jail?" Natalya asked.

Ivan shook his head. "He should be in jail," he agreed.

Natalya sat in a plastic chair beside him. "You're going to tell Kat," she said.

"No!" Ivan laughed. "You're the one who isn't strapped to a hospital bed!"

"I'll get her on the phone right now. You can still talk on the phone," Natalya contradicted.

"No, I'm 'resting,'" Ivan said, making air quotes. "You call her."

"No thanks. It happened to you."

"Don't make me come over there," Ivan said playfully.

"You can't, though."

"Yeah, I know. Now, call Kat."

"No," Natalya said bluntly.

"Please? For me?" Ivan said, putting on puppy-dog eyes that he knew Natalya couldn't resist.

"Ugh, fine!" she exclaimed.

Ivan watched as Natalya picked up the phone on the wall and dialed a number. He could hear Kat's voice, but not her words.

"Hi, Kat. Ivan's in the hospital," Natalya deadpanned.

Kat started freaking out.

"Kat. Kat. Kat, stop. Kat. Seriously, Kat. KAT!" Natalya said over Kat's wailing. "He's fine. Da, really. The General. Nyet. I'm okay. Kat, no, don't start crying again. You wanna talk to him? Okay, here he is."

Natalya handed Ivan the phone. "Hello, Kat," Ivan said.

"IIIIIIIIIIIIvannnnnn!" Kat wailed.

"What!"

"Are you okay!"

"Da, I'm fine," Ivan said.

"I'm coming over there!" Kat said determinedly.

"Alright. Don't speed, I'm not going anywhere for a while."

"Did he break your legs!" Kat screeched.

"Nyet! Nyet, I'm just-...Nyet, I'm fine. Lots of bed rest. No broken bones. I'm fine," Ivan said.

Kat hung up. "Goodbye, then," Ivan said. He handed the phone back to Natalya, and she put it back on the wall.

"If the General ever shows his face again, I'll kill him," Natalya promised.

"What have I told you about homicide?" Ivan said.

Natalya sighed. "That it's bad..."

"And?"

"And it gets me in jail..."

"Good girl."

Natalya sighed again. Ivan noticed the two blondes in the room for the first time. "Oh. Hello," he said.

"Oh, right. Ivan, this is Lilli and Vash," Natalya said.

"Hello," Lilli said.

"You're in my class," Vash said.

"I know," Ivan said. "Thank you for being my sister's friend," he said to Lilli.

"She's nice when she's not being grumpy," Lilli said.

Ivan waited for Natalya to protest, but she only shrugged. _That's not like her..._

The door burst open, and there stood Kat. She took one look at Ivan and burst into tears.

"Kat! Kat, I'm okay! Really, Kat!" Ivan hastily protested.

"You're covered in bandages!" she wailed.

"Yes, but it doesn't hurt! I mean, it hurt for a while, but it doesn't hurt now! Pain medicine! Kat, please stop crying!" Ivan said.

Kat sniffled and sat down in a plastic chair next to Ivan. "You're sure?"

"Yes, Kat," Ivan said.

"I can't believe uncle would do this! Why did he do it to only you!" Kat asked tearfully.

"I don't know...I would always be there for him to punch so he wouldn't go after you guys...?" Ivan guessed.

"...Ivan! Why didn't you tell me! I could've called the police so this didn't happen!" Kat exclaimed.

"I know, but, now, we don't have a guardian..." Ivan said.

"You'll come live with me!" Kat said.

"Kat, you're tight on money! I couldn't just-"

"Nonsense!" Kat said firmly. "You'll stay with me!"

"You're sure?" Natalya and Ivan chorused.

"Yes!"

Ivan smiled. "I'll get a job. I'll help you with the money problem," he offered.

Kat smiled and took his hand. "When you're ready. Now, just focus on healing..."

Ivan squeezed her hand and grinned. Then he yawned. "I'm tired," he said.

"Sleep, by all means," Kat said.

"Okay..." he said. Ivan lied back and fell easily into unconsciousness.

XXXXXXXXXX

When Ivan woke up, it was about three in the afternoon.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Kat said from across the room.

"Kat..." he slurred. "You should be at work..."

"I took the day off," she said. "Look, I'm making you another scarf!" she said, holding up a ball of white yarn and her knitting needles.

"Thanks!" Ivan said, sitting up.

"Natalya said your other one got ruined, right?"

"Yeah, I think so..." Ivan said. "What's that?" he asked, pointing toward a large piece of paper.

"Your get-well card," Kat said with a smile. She picked it up and brought it to him.

On the sheet of yellow poster paper was the signatures of almost everyone in his class. "Wow..." Ivan said.

"Toris and Maddie dropped by after school. You were still fast asleep," she said.

"But how did they know?"

"Oh, I went in this morning and told Mr. Rome why I was talking the day off. Toris was dropping off the attendance and heard. Mrs. Gonzales gave him the poster paper, and he went around getting people to sign it."

Mrs. Gonzales was the art teacher. She was stern, but nice.

"...Wow..." Ivan said again. "I didn't know...anyone, really, cared..."

"He seemed very concerned to me," Kat said.

"Wow..." Ivan said a third time. "Where's Natalya?"

"She's with Lilli. Lilli's a nice girl," Kat said offhandedly. "Vash seems kind of scary to me, though."

"Most people find me scary," Ivan said, still staring at the get-well card.

"Really?" Kat asked. "I don't think you're scary."

"Me neither," said a voice from the door. Maddie, Alfred, and Toris.

"Yo, dude, what's up? Sorry for all the times I called you a commie..." Alfred said.

"It's okay, da? I apologize for all the times I have called you a fat American," Ivan said.

"...When did you call me that?"

"Oh. I probably didn't say it out loud, but I was thinking it," Ivan said.

"...Whatever."

"We just, uh, dropped by to see how you're doing," Maddie said. "And, also...when you're better, I was wondering whether or not you'd like to be on the hockey team?"

"Hockey..." Ivan said, tasting the word. "I'll think about it. It sounds fun, da?" Ivan looked back down at the card on his lap. "Thank you, Toris," he said.

Toris smiled. "You're welcome."

There was a moment of awkward silence.

"So...Ivan, do you want to be...my friend?" Toris asked.

Ivan grinned. "Da!"

**TADA. **

**That's all I got. Lame ending, I know, I'm sorry. ^_^**

**So, I know this probably doesn't happen to any of you, but maybe it happened to someone you know. **

**I didn't to a good job of describing the relationship between Belarus and Russia. Bela was too lied back. **

**Anyway...Yeah. Don't judge people when you don't know what they've gone through. **

**You know what they say about assuming. XD /shot/ sorry**

**Okay, maybe the really mean and scary person in your class is going through something like this. Don't be afraid to give them a friendly hand; they'd probably appreciate it more than you think. And it doesn't need to be the big scary person. Maybe it's the new kid, or the dorky kid, or anyone who sits alone. **

**Anyway, sorry for being slightly lazy. You guys didn't have to wait **_**that**_** long, did you? ^_^**

**Okay, so, on the last chapter of my other story (OMUL), I tried to give you all my Tumblr URL, but it get deleted by FF. So, it's memoranda 678 dot tumblr dot com. I have eleven followers. XD Here's a bribe so you'll follow me even though my blog is pretty pathetic. I'll post sneak peeks at upcoming chapters for this story and OMUL. Yeah, it's called, "Big bottle of awesome sauce." Don't ask, it's an inside joke. XD And, also, I only really reblog the pictures, seeing as I write much better than I draw. XD I SUCK AT DRAWING. **

**/shot for shameless self-advertising/ I'M JUST SAYING. I'm so unpopular, I don't even get Anon's hate. XD **

**Farewell, see you later, jaa ne, au revior, da svedaneya, sayonara, hasta la pasta, etc., etc.. :3 **


	10. The last rose

**I CAN EXPLAIN FOR THE LATENESS PLEASE DON'T KILL ME. :U **

**Okay, so I was at camp for the majority of two weeks. I came home on the weekend, but I was sick and my brain was dead. So there. Hold your fire, okey? :U**

**Quinn Fiberoptic: Well, first he has to get captured. XD *hugs* Hi, mi amiga~!**

**ZeldaLove Akira-Chan: Aw, dun cry~! That's good! Judging people is bad. **

**MrsKikuHonda: Aw, don't cry! I have a Yami, too... That's how I came up with this. Thanks for reviewing, and PLEASE DON'T DO IT AGAIN. PLEASE. **

**Art and Soul: That's what I was thinking about when I wrote it! XD **

**ChubbyCubby23: Aw, grazie~ Did I PM you about this? I forgot already. :B**

**CelticGirl7: Thank you~ NO CRYING THOUGH. 'Cause if YOU start crying, then I'LL start crying, and then EVERYONE will start crying, and then the world will drown. :U I'm kidding. XD Thanks for reviewing!**

**Kitana Lunara: I knowwwww, I love Russia~ *joins you in the glomping* Heh, funny. X3**

**EqualDemise731: Everyone is crying over this chapter! :U Aw, I'm so sorry...I've never lost a friend to death, but I've moved several times, and people stop replying to messages and all that...Although I shouldn't complain, because sometimes it's me who stops replying. **

**LadyoftheLake13: Thanks! That's THIS chapter~! I like PruHun, too, but, y'know. XD Gotta write what I gotta write. **

**caset290: Fankyew~ Oh, I'm just in the background. Nobody really avoids me on purpose, unless they're afraid of the anime-freak-new-chick. XD I laughed writing that. What's your Tumblr pen name? Are you pointblankerror? o3o **

**Any-Clan: Yeah, that's possible. I feel all awkward because I don't know how to respond to this...:B Thanks for reviewing~**

**DarkMystique: Thanks~ Aw, you're okay now? I'm kinda like Canada and Austria: I'm invisible, but if someone talks to me, I'll speak my mind. **

**YEAH. HI PEOPLE. HOW ARE YOU. I'M A BIG BALL OF AWKWARD TODAY. :B AND I HAVEN'T EVEN LEFT THE HOUSE. XD What am I talking about, I'm a big ball of awkward every day. XD **

**Michelle= Seychelles. Just so ya know. o3o**

**Alright: I'M SORRY TO ALL YOU PRUHUN SUPPORTERS. I SUPPORT PRUHUN, TOO, BUT I HAVE TO WRITE THIS, OKAY? :U**

**Okay, so, bullying in relationships! TAKE ONE. **

**ANNNNNNND...ACTION~!**

Bullying in Relationships

"Gil, would you please turn that down?" Elizabeta said over the loud music in her boyfriend's van.

"What? I can't hear you!" Gilbert called back, headbanging to the beat of the music.

"You're going to make us crash if you keep doing that!" Elizabeta cried, clutching the seatbelt for dear life.

"What? Eh, never mind. Hey, wanna see how fast I can take these speed bumps?" Gilbert shouted happily.

Elizabeta's green eyes widened in horror. "NO! Gil, slow down!" she pleaded. But it was too late; Gilbert had already slammed down the gas, and the van was momentarily airborne. Elizabeta screamed as the van came back to the pavement with a loud, resounding, _bang!_

Gilbert pulled the van into a parking space. Elizabeta opened the van door and tumbled out of the vehicle, landing on her hands and knees in the most ungraceful way possible. Gilbert walked around and helped her stand up.

"Gilbert Belicshmidt, I swear, if I wasn't in love with you, I'd kill you," she threatened idly, pushing strands of her chestnut-brown hair out of her eyes. Her fingers brushed against the small flower tucked behind her ear.

"Yeah, I bet you would," Gilbert teased, hugging the Hungarian.

Elizabeta pulled back. "Why are we here?" she asked, looking at the entrance to the city's mall.

"Kesesese, it's a surprise~!" Gilbert said, taking her hand and dragging her in.

"Okay, so...this _surprise_," Elizabeta said as they passed several stores. "What is it?"

"You'll have to wait, Liz!" Gilbert said in a mocking stern tone.

"I don't want to wait," she whined, pulling on his arm. "What is it?"

"No, you have to wait!" Gil said. They stopped at the fountain. Gilbert pushed Elizabeta on a chair beside it. "Wait here, I'll be right back."

"Oh, so you drag me here and ditch me? Nice, Gil. Nice," Elizabeta said, rolling her eyes in a playful way.

"Just wait!" he pleaded.

"Fine! I'm waiting!" Elizabeta said, throwing up her hands in a gesture of surrender. Gil's footsteps mingled with the loud babble of everyone in the mall talking at once. Looking around, she saw lots of other people from school: Gil's brother, Ludwig, and his friends, Feli and Sakura. It seemed that Sakura brought Alfred F. Jones along. Walking in a different direction was Mathias, Lukas, and Emil. Elizabeta could see Tino and Berwald on the escalator. And, of course, other random strangers wandered around, minding their own business.

Someone poked Elizabeta's shoulder. The girl, lost in her game of people-watching, jumped and whirled around. Gil stood there, grinning his goofy grin, something held behind his back.

"What 'cha got there?" Elizabeta asked.

Gilbert held out his arm. In his hand was a bouquet of roses. Elizabeta's smile widened in delight. "What, have you turned French? Everyone knows it's Francis who gives out roses," she teased.

"Just take the darn flowers, woman," Gilbert said playfully. Elizabeta reached for the present when Gil suddenly pulled his arm back. "Payment first, please," he said, tapping his cheek.

Elizabeta giggled and went to kiss his face. Right before her lips brushed the pale skin of his cheek, Gilbert turned his head, kissing Elizabeta full on the mouth. Elizabeta let out a muffled yelp of surprise and delight, and she threw her arms around his neck.

Passing them was a small group of three people. "Urgh, they're eating each other's faces again," Lixie said in a loud, disgusted whisper. Maddie was sure this must have carried to the couple's ears, despite the cacophony of other voices and footsteps, so she said, "Shh."

"Seriously, Maddie, how can you stand this?" Lixie said in disbelief. "Your Ex is just, like standing there, macking on another girl!"

Maddie shook her head as if to ward off an irksome fly, but she didn't reply.

Toris put his hand on Maddie's shoulder, wordlessly comforting her. She made a brave attempt at a smile at him. Then she said to Lixie, "I really don't care who he kisses." She walked briskly away with an interested cry of, "Ooh, look at that!" leaving her friends with no choice but to follow.

Gil and Elizabeta broke away. Elizabeta looked at the flowers wrapped in plastic, beaming. "I love you so much, thank you!"

"Kesese, look out, incoming cheesy pick-up line..." Gilbert said. He leaned in closer to Elizabeta. "I'll love you until the last rose dies..." he whispered seductively.

Elizabeta's eyes lingered on Gil's scarlet ones, then trailed down to the flowers. The green perused the red, until Elizabeta noticed one of the flowers, hidden cleverly, was a maroon shade instead of the bright, vivid crimson. She gently stroked it, and her suspicions were true: this was one fake.

If it was possible for Elizabeta's smile to widen, it did right then.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"That. Is. So. _Romantic~!_" Elizabeta's friend, Michelle squealed. "I'm so happy for you~~!"

"I _know~~!_" Elizabeta shrieked in happiness. "Thanks~!"

Elizabeta was lying on her bed, a phone held against her ear. Her bouquet of eleven real roses and one fake one was held against her chest. The Hungarian's hair fell almost elegantly over the side of her bed.

"Oh, hey, I gotta go. Homework, and all that," Michelle said abruptly.

"Yeah, okay. I should go, too," Elizabeta said. "Night~!"

"Night-y night~!" Michelle chirped, hanging up.

Elizabeta sighed in content, closing her cell phone. She took a moment of peaceful silence before standing up and putting the bouquet on her dresser, and not in a vase like it should've been.

Her cell phone buzzed, indicating that she had a text. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized it was from Gil.

_Hay babe,_ it read, _wanna com over? My parents are out of town. ;)_

Elizabeta let out an impatient sigh. Despite the roses and mushy display of affection, sometimes it felt that Gilbert only wanted her for her body. Elizabeta had always denied the offer for sex, but he kept coming back. What if he broke up with her because she didn't?

Elizabeta decided to stall: _I'd love that, babe, but what about Ludwig? _It usually only took a reminder that Gilbert had a little brother for him to take back his offer.

_Its okay, he's got the nite shift at the shelter. ;)_

Ah, yes. The shelter, where Ludwig worked with homeless dogs and cats.

_I don't know baby. I think Im coming down with something,_ she texted back. It was a lie, and she knew it. But she just wasn't ready for sex.

_WHA WE TOTALLY MADE OUT! D: _Gilbert texted back.

Elizabeta cringed. _i don't think it's contagious,_ she sent.

_O, then, come on! Come over!_

Elizabeta sighed. _I don't feel well, _she texted.

_Well then come over! Ill make you feel a loooot better ;) _

Elizabeta wrinkled her nose at her phone. _Gilly, I really don't want to_

His answer only confirmed her suspicions. _Don't you love me?_

_Yes, I really do! _she tried to tell him.

_Then Y wont you have sex w/ me? _

_Gilbert, please. I'm not ready,_ she told him at last. She had always made excuses in the past. Even with past boyfriends. And the way Gilbert and his friends talked, it was almost shameful to admit she was still a virgin.

However, even secret, it was the one thing Elizabeta clinged to. She was still pure.

_Y not? I'll show you the ropes. ;)_, Gilbert sent back.

_No_, she told him. She hoped her single-word answer would send Gilbert her unspoken firmness.

_Plz?_ Gilbert texted.

_No!_ With that, Elizabeta closed her phone and stuffed it under her pillow. In a few long strides, she crossed her room and peered into her vanity. Out of the mirror stared a girl with Elizabeta's hair color, her eye color, and her skin tone. But the girl's physical appearance didn't matter to Elizabeta; it just didn't seem like her.

When Elizabeta was a little girl, she would never act like she was supposed to. She was always running around in boy clothes. She wouldn't bother trying on one of the dresses her mother tried in vain to offer her. For a while, Elizabeta, herself, thought she was the opposite gender.

Gilbert was a close friend in her childhood. He never seemed to even suspect Elizabeta's gender; he just accepted her as a boy, and he treated her like one, as well. When Elizabeta finally told him, the look on his face was priceless.

Now, the girl in the mirror was just another girl. A make-up-caked, dress-wearing girl. It was at that moment when Elizabeta realized that she didn't want to be a girl anymore. She didn't want to have boys love her for her body, and only her body. She didn't want to wake up every morning and take forever to decide what to wear, put make-up on, and straighten her hair.

But society wouldn't allow that, now would it?

Her friends would disown her. She'd lose Gil. No one would want her.

_I want to fit in,_ she thought. _ I want to be accepted. But I don't want to keep living like a living Barbie doll. _**(Guess who doesn't own Barbie? ME.) **

Elizabeta walked out of her room. She needed a break; a walk sounded good...

She pulled on a baggy sweatshirt over her tank top and tugged on her slip-on shoes. Twisting her wavy hair into a messy knot on the back of her head, she walked out of her room and down the stairs.

"Mom, I'm going out," she said over her shoulder to her mother who sat in a recliner, reading another romance novel.

"Dressed like that?" she answered, her disapproving eyes sweeping Elizabeta's body.

Elizabeta shook her head in exasperation. "Mom, I'm wearing skinny jeans. If I can't get them off, neither can the rapist."

"Fine," her mother said simply. "Where will you go?"

"I dunno," Elizabeta said at once, "I just need some fresh air."

"Will you stop by Edelstein's, then? I'm afraid our piano needs tuning."

"Sure, whatever," said Elizabeta, shrugging.

"And, honey, don't stay out for too long. And don't go out of town, got it?"

"Yeah," Elizabeta said. "Love you, see you in a few." And with that, she opened the door and walked into the brisk air.

Elizabeta took a deep, contented breath before walking down the lane away from her house. She walked by the orange light of the streetlamps. She had to admit, it was a bit spooky, but a dismal light was better than no light at all.

Finally, Elizabeta reached town. Main street wasn't that big, but it also wasn't that small. Hetalia was a medium-sized town.  
>Elizabeta decided to just go straight to Edelstein's, the music store, and then go home. A short walk still allowed her to clear her head.<p>

Suddenly, a hand clapped itself over her mouth and dragged her into the shadows. A muffled cry of alarm escaped her, but the person holding her said in a silky whisper, "Shh-shh-shhhh...Don't scream, my sweet..."

Elizabeta thrust her elbow into the stomach of the man, and she bit his hand in unison. He merely let out a small, "Ow," but no more than that; his grasp did not relinquish.

"Feisty," he purred. "Listen, angel face, I don't want to hurt you. Just give me all your money, and you can go running home to your little boyfriend."

She licked his hand. Disgusted, he pulled it away. "Sorry to disappoint," she snarled, "but I don't have any money. Now, as punishment for messing with _me_..." Elizabeta let her sentence trail off as the man chuckled.

Elizabeta took the hand of the arm that was around her neck, pulled it away from her, and karate-chopped his elbow. It didn't break, like Elizabeta wanted it to, but it, apparently, hurt. She swept her foot under his, knocking him to the ground. He pulled Elizabeta down by her bun, and she let out a cry of pain and shock as she fell, and her head hit the pavement. Elizabeta elbowed him in the face, hearing his nose break.

A door on the side of the alleyway opened, and light flooded in. A boy around Elizabeta's age stood there, a bag of trash in one hand and a soapy frying pan in the other. He looked startled. Elizabeta snatched the pan out of his hand and hit the man on the back of his head. The man collapsed in a heap on the ground.

Elizabeta kicked the guy in the ribs. "Hope you learned your lesson," she growled at him. "Here's your pan," she said dismissively, holding the frying pan out to the boy.

"Are you alright?" he asked as he took it back.

"Yeah, m'fine," Elizabeta said thickly.

"No you're not, you're dripping blood _all_ over yourself. Come in, let me help," the boy said.

Elizabeta lifted her fingers to her forehead, and they came away red and sticky. Her head _hurt_. It hurt so bad she followed the boy back inside his apartment.

Once in the light, she finally recognized him. She couldn't remember his name, but he was in a few of her classes. The boy had black hair with a strange cowlick, violet eyes, glasses, a mole by his mouth, and a snobby, upturned nose.

"Mom, where's the first aid kit?" he asked, poking his head in a different room.

"Why do you need it?" came a voice.

"Well, a girl's been hurt," he replied, now looking in the drawers.

A second later, a woman who looked very much like the boy came into what seemed to be the kitchen. She looked at Elizabeta, and she sucked in a gasp. "Oh my stars! Are you alright?" the woman asked, rushing forward to Elizabeta.

Elizabeta nodded. The boy came back, the first aid kit in his hands. "What happened?" the woman asked.

"The guy in the alley," Elizabeta said, "he wanted money, but I didn't have any. I kicked his butt for threatening me like that."

The woman sighed. "Crime in these parts have just been terrible. Is he still there?"

"I think so," Elizabeta said, "I knocked him in the head with the frying pan," she said, pointing to said object. The woman looked into the alleyway, and she seemed to notice the unconscious body.

"Roderich, would you go call the police?" she asked.

_Oh, right. His name's Roderich,_ Elizabeta thought. The woman began dabbing at Elizabeta's freely bleeding forehead with a paper towel.

"Come, sit," the woman invited, gesturing at a stool in the kitchen. Elizabeta did so gladly; her vision was getting fuzzy.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Oh, I am Sophia Edelstein. Who are _you_?" she asked.

"My name is Elizabeta Herdervarity," she managed. The name of the woman clicked in her mind. "I was coming to your shop. My mom said she needs the piano tuned."

Mrs. Edelstein washed the cut with something sanitary-smelling; whatever it was, it stung. Finally, she put a sterile bandage over the cut, securing it with medical tape. "Thank you," Elizabeta said gratefully.

"It was no problem," Mrs. Edelstein said.

Elizabeta sat awkwardly in the middle of the Edelstein's kitchen. It seemed Roderich was cleaning up from something someone baked, and he was taking out the trash.

The wailing of the police sirens almost made Elizabeta jump with joy; she felt so out of place in her now-bloodstained, overlarge hoodie and messy hair, while everything in this house was prim and posh.

Even though Mrs. Edelstein had already patched up her cut, she was still made to sit on the ambulance and retell her story to the officers while a paramedic checked her head. When she was finished, she was told to wait there and hold an icepack to her wound (she actually didn't mind the icepack part; it felt nice). A few yards away, Roderich and Mrs. Edelstein were giving their takes on what happened. The mugger was hauled away in a different ambulance, going to a hospital for criminals.

It made Elizabeta feel slightly guilty for what she did, but then she remembered that he deserved it.

"You're quite sure you'll be alright?" Roderich asked, coming over.

Elizabeta nodded, the icepack still held on her forehead. "Yeah. Thanks, by the way."

"For what?"

"Letting me use your frying pan."

"I didn't let you, you grabbed it."

Elizabeta shrugged and grinned. "Desperate times call for desperate measures, Specs."

Roderich frowned. "'Specs?' What kind of a name is that?"

"Spectacles," Elizabeta clarified, drawing circles around her eyes with her free hand. When Roderich's frown only deepened, she added, "Better nickname than 'Four-eyes.'"

"I'd prefer you use my real name," he said snootily. "My name is Roderich."

"I know. You're in a couple of my classes," Elizabeta said. "My name's Elizabeta, if you didn't know."

"I knew. You're in a couple of my classes," Roderich said.

Elizabeta smiled. "You're pretty funny," she told him. "We should hang out sometime."

Roderich shrugged, but he looked pleased. "Fine, I guess," he said.

Finally, the police gave her the okay to go home. "Do you need a ride?" he asked.

"It's only a few blocks," Elizabeta said.

"I still think it's best if I gave you a ride. Your mother should probably know," he said.

Elizabeta shrugged. "If you insist." She told him her address and was about to climb in the backseat when Roderich opened the door for her. "Thanks," she said, surprised at his chivalry.

"No problem," he said. "See you at school."

"Bye," Elizabeta said.

Elizabeta sat in the back of the police car; she had to admit how uneasy being where countless criminals have sat before. Murderers, thieves, thugs, and others who have done wrong. Now, having committed no crime, Elizabeta felt a bit more at ease, knowing that she was only going home.

The officer and his partner got in the front seat, the man behind the wheel. "You're a very lucky young lady, you know," he said.

"Am I?" Elizabeta asked.

"Yes. We've been looking for this guy for months; he's attacked several other minors before. Hospitalized a few of them," the woman said.

"Oh, well, I've had practice. My friend and I fought like cats and dogs as kids," Elizabeta said with a shrug. "And the frying pan is my favorite weapon," she joked with a grin.

They pulled into the driveway. Her mother answered the door, looking a little pale. When she saw Elizabeta's patched-up head, she let out a strangled cry of shock and rushed towards her daughter.

The officers explained what happened (even though Elizabeta felt she could've done the same without them), they left after, and Elizabeta was pulled inside by her worried mother.

"You're okay?" she asked, wringing her hands and repeatedly smoothing the bandage on her forehead.

"I'm fine; what about you?" Elizabeta asked.

"I'm not the one who's had their head split open!"

"Mom, I'm okay. Remember the injuries I'd get while fighting with Gil?"

"Yes, I remember," her mom said. "That boy. How you two ever began dating is beyond me," she teased with a smile.

Elizabeta shrugged and grinned. "Hey, I'mma go to bed. I'm feeling a little woozy."

"Okay. School tomorrow," her mom reminded.

Elizabeta groaned good-naturedly and trudged up the stairs. She went to her bathroom first, took a washcloth, and wiped blood from her head, face, neck, and hair. She walked back to her bedroom and flopped onto her bed without even changing.

Her pillow buzzed.

Oh. Right. Her phone.

Elizabeta fished her cell phone from under her cache of pillows and looked at the texts from Gilbert.

He was still begging her to come over.

Elizabeta shook her head and deleted the messages, turning off the lights and flopping back down. She was asleep in minutes.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Elizabeta groaned at the sound of her phone ringing. Fumbling through the dark, she picked up her phone and answered it before even checking caller ID. "Hello?" she slurred.

"I love you~~!" Gilbert said.

"Yeah, I love you too. Can I go back to sleep?"

"Nope. Gotta get ready for school," Gilbert said cheerfully. "Did I beat your alarm clock?"

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

"Yeah," Elizabeta said, shutting it off.

"Hey..." Gilbert said. "Will you send me a pic of you naked?" From his tone, Elizabeta knew he was wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Gil..." she said in a disapproving tone. "Please don't start this again..."

"Hey," Gil said indignantly. "if you really loved me-"

"Gil, I could've died last night," she interrupted. What she was expecting from this was a concerned tone, for him to ask if she was alright, or why she didn't tell him last night.

What she got was, "Well, if you came over last night that probably wouldn't have happened."

Elizabeta furrowed her eyebrows. "Don't you care?"

"Of course I do!" Gilbert said. "But if you just took me up on my offer-"

"Gil, even if I did, I would've been walking down the same street at the same time. Nothing would've changed," she said, her tone icy. Gilbert started to reply, but Elizabeta said hurriedly, "I have to go. Bye," and hung up.

She let out a small, "Aw~!" of disappointment when she noticed that all of her flowers, minus the fake one, had died over night due to a lack of water.

She threw on a green T-shirt and a pair of shorts, and she went downstairs, brushing her hair back into a ponytail with her fingers. She shoveled down a bowl of cereal, pulled on her sandals, grabbed her backpack; she had slipped her phone in her pocket as she left her room, along with the fake rose to remind her to be patient with Gil.

After a short bus ride, she arrived at Hetalia High, and she went to her locker to drop off her stuff.

Walking into first period, she noticed her new friend. "Hey, Roderich," she said as she sat in the seat next to him. He looked surprised as she did so.

"Hello," he said simply. "How's your head?"

"It's fine," she said. "Hey, did I dent your frying pan last night?"

"I don't think so," he said with a ghost of a smile.

"What'cha reading?" she asked.

He showed her the cover. "It was a highly rated book, but I find it very barbaric."

"I read it. Saw the movie, too. I like it," she said. "It is pretty scary, but people like the thrillers. I'm reading this," she added as she held up her book.

Someone slid into the seat next to Elizabeta. "This guy bothering you, Lizzy?" Gil asked, looping an arm around her shoulder. It was a casual move, but it said one thing loud and clear: _She's mine._

"No. I came over here to bother him," she said.

Roderich had gone very quiet. "Whassamatter, Roddy?" Gil taunted.

"Gil, calm down," Elizabeta scolded.

"Aw, but look at him! He's so nerdy! Kesesese," Gil laughed.

"Gil, he helped me," she said. "I might actually be dead if he wasn't there. Or in the hospital."

"All I did was stand there while you smacked him with my frying pan," Roderich interjected quietly.

"Oh, so you're too weak to do anything while my girl knocks a guy out?" Gil asks angrily.

"Gil, stop," Elizabeta said. She could tell this was making Roderich nervous. "He did more than that."

"So now you're hitting on my girl?" Gil said.

"Gil. Cut it out," she said.

The bell rung, starting class. Gil was fuming on one side of her, and Roderich, on the other side, was emanating awkward vibes. She was glad as that class was done with.

As Elizabeta started walking to her next class, there was a crash. Elizabeta whirled around to see Gil push Roderich against the wall, snarling, "Stay away from her."

"Gil!" Elizabeta protested sharply, rushing over, but Gil had already walked away. "I'm _so_ sorry!" she exclaimed as she started picking up Roderich's things.

"It's alright," he said stiffly, crouching down to help. As she picked up a notebook, she noticed what was most likely what made Gilbert so angry: her name penciled on the back in elegant, curly letters.

Elizabeta flushed, but pretended not to have seen it as she handed it back. "I'm sorry about that," she said again. "He's not usually the jealous type..."

"It's alright," he said again. He, too, was blushing.

"Bye, then," Elizabeta said awkwardly, stepping back a few paces.

"We're going to the same class," he reminded her. "Music."

"Right," she said.

They walked to the next classroom in silence, albeit the noise from the people around them as they bustled to their classes. Again, Roderich showed his chivalry as he held open the door for Elizabeta. She muttered a thanks and went to her seat.

This class went as uneventfully as every other class. At least, until Grandpa Rome, the principal, came in wearing a top hat, a monocle, and carrying a cane. He came in the classroom, waited for silence, and stared at the class while everyone stared back. Then he simply left without a word. The class burst into laughter, and, later, the vice principal, Mr. Germania, poked his head in and asked the teacher if she had seen the kooky Italian.

But, of course, this was almost the norm at a school like Hetalia High. The only difference was that usually Grandpa Rome bursts into song, and in Roman armor, not a gentleman costume.

The next class past without disruption from the insane principal.

At lunch, Elizabeta found her seat next to Gil and her friends. Michelle was taking pictures of the pair with her phone.

"Hey...where's my book?" Elizabeta asked to no one in particular as she searched in vain.

"Where's the last place you had it?" Gil asked.

"Period two, I think..." she said.

"Well, go get it," he said with a shrug. "Want me to come with you?"

"No, it's fine."

"Hey, your shoelace is untied," Michelle called after her.

"I know. I don't really care, but thanks anyway!" Elizabeta said as she got up and walked in the direction of the music classroom.

She was reaching for the door handle when she heard the faint piano music from inside. Elizabeta looked in the window, and saw a black-haired person sitting at the piano. As quietly as she could, she eased open the door and slipped in.

Elizabeta walked on tip-toes so she didn't disturb the person, whom she recognized to be Roderich. She reached her seat, looked under her chair, and no book. She let out a small "Hm..." After she scanned the room, she noticed it.

On the piano.

_How did that even get there? I wasn't anywhere near the piano today!_ she thought. _Well, there goes not disturbing him..._

Quietly, she sat down on a chair, listening to the music. She liked this song...It was very pretty...

Suddenly..."Achoo!" Elizabeta sneezed without warning.

The music ended with a sour note as Roderich jumped, pressed several dissonant keys at once, and whirled around. "You!" he exclaimed.

"Me!" Elizabeta laughed nervously. "I'm really sorry for interrupting, I just...came in because I forgot my book, and I thought it would be over here, but someone moved it to the piano, and I didn't want to bother you, and...yeah. Sorry," she said again.

"No, no, it's okay," he said. "You just startled me, is all. And, yes, I moved your book. I was planning on taking it to you, but, now you're here, so...here's your book..." he finished awkwardly, thrusting the book at Elizabeta.

"Thanks," she said, smiling at him to try to ease the tension. She started walking out, but tripped over her untied shoelace. Landing right on Roderich as the door opened.

And if things couldn't've gotten worse: Gil stood there.

Gilbert turned brick red as he charged Roderich, yanking him out from under Elizabeta, and slamming his back against the piano. "I _told_ you to stay away from her!" he growled, giving Roderich a shake. "What part of that doesn't your nerdy little brain understand?"

"Gilbert!" Elizabeta called sharply, jumping to her feet. "I _fell_ on him! Nothing happened!"

"Yeah, sure. That's what everyone says," Gilbert said with cruel sarcasm oozing out of every word. He lifted a fist, snarling at Roderich.

"Gil, no!" Elizabeta cried, lunging forward to grab Gil's raised hand.

"Not until I beat the crap out of this wimp who needs to learn his place!" Gilbert exclaimed back angrily.

"What do you mean, 'learn my place?'" Roderich asked, struggling to remove Gilbert's hand on his shirt. "I didn't do _anything_! _She_ fell on _me!_"

"So now you're blaming everything on her!" Gilbert accused, trying to get his fist back up so he could punch Roderich.

"Gilbert, stop it!" Elizabeta cried, still struggling to keep him from hurting her new friend.

"Stay _out_ of this, Elizabeta!" Gilbert said angrily.

"I _won't_!" Elizabeta shrieked. "You need to _stop!_"

"No, _you_ need to stop!" Gilbert said while whirling on her. "I don't know _why_ I put up with you when it's _obvious _that I know what I'm doing!"

"And _I_ don't know why I put up with_ you_ when you're in one of these pointless rages!" Elizabeta shrieked back, waving her arms in emphasis.

"You wanna know why? You put up with me because you _know_ you won't find anyone like me!" Gilbert exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at her.

Elizabeta bit her tongue to keep from responding harshly. She counted to ten to control her anger, and then she replied in a far calmer voice: "I put up with you for all the times you're sweet instead of a total jerk. Like yesterday, with the flowers. I love _that_ Gil. This one, the one who beats up anyone who looks at me, I don't love him."

Gil looked stunned. "B-but...I'm protecting _us._ I'm protecting our _love._"

Elizabeta took a shaky breath. "Honestly, Gil, what _love?_ You don't really love me. You lust over me. It's not the same as love, Gil."

"No, I really love you!" Gilbert protested.

"How so?" Elizabeta asked. She felt close to tears; this long with Gilbert, and she was breaking up with him over Roderich? Well...her logic did make sense...To a part of her, at least...The other half was screaming, _Just drop the conversation and let him hit Roddy! You love him! Let that be enough!_

"Well...I think you're really sexy!" Gilbert said.

"Gil, that's my _body._ What do you love about _me?_" Elizabeta wasn't sure what she looked like right now, and she wasn't sure she cared; but if she had to guess, she'd say her eyes, normally a happy forest-green had changed to a bright, vivid, poisonous green, as they always did when she was angry. Her hair, which never strayed from its light brown shade, was probably falling out of the ponytail.

_Why am I fighting with him like this out of the blue?_ she thought. _He doesn't deserve it...Does he...?_ Elizabeta started to think of any and every reason to break up with Gilbert: his arrogance. His attitude. His lustfulness. His superiority. The way he stared at every other girl.

But why shouldn't she? His smile. His thoughtfulness. The way he made her weak at the knees.

Honestly, right now Elizabeta had no idea what her feelings were doing to her. She wanted to be with him. But at the price of her happiness? Was it really worth it?

Gilbert still hadn't answered. Roderich was a mixture of boredom and intrigue, Gil's fist still gripping the front of his shirt. "I guess that's it, then..." Elizabeta said quietly.

"What?" Gil asked, stunned. "Are you-...Are you breaking up with me?" Elizabeta expected for him to grow angry, but instead he just sounded hurt.

"Yes," Elizabeta said in the same tone.

The bell rung.

"I'll talk to you about it after school," Elizabeta promised.

Elizabeta was not looking forward to after school.

She departed silently to class, ignoring the way Gil's wounded eyes followed her as she exited the room. She also breathed a silent sigh of relief when Roderich followed her, showing that he was not beaten to a pulp by Gilbert.

The rest of the day passed in a whirl of color. It was too soon when she found herself standing outside under her and Gil's meeting place, a tall pine tree.

She was almost in a daze while she explained her reasoning. She cried. She pretended not to see Gil cry. Finally, Elizabeta choked out a small "I'm so sorry..." and ran as fast as she could away from him.

Elizabeta stopped at a park on the top of a hill, plopping down on a bench, covering her face with her hands, and desperately trying to catch her breath through her sobs. With a start, she realized where she was: the park where Gil had first kissed her. Elizabeta buried her face in her palms again, hiding from her surroundings.

A hand fell on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" a soft voice asked.

Elizabeta jumped and whirled around, finding herself face-to-face with Maddie Williams. "Yeah. Yeah, m'fine."

"Then why are you crying?"

"I just broke up with Gilbert..." she said. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. For what I said to you. I'm sorry."

"That?" Maddie laughed. "I've already forgiven you."

"I guess I might've been doing you a favor, taking him," Elizabeta sniffed, rubbing her streaming nose. "He's arrogant, selfish, lustful, and a complete jerk. And yet, I still love him..."

"For a while, I thought I did, too..." Maddie said, sitting next to her. "Then I realized: I didn't love him. I _liked_ him. It's not the same. If you really loved him, you would've looked over his...many...flaws."

Elizabeta let out a watery laugh. "You can say that again..."

Maddie smiled at her, her purple eyes sparkling. "If he really was the one, you wouldn't be crying. He's not worth either of our tears."

"Thank you so much..." Elizabeta said, meaning every word.

"It's no problem," Maddie said.

Her phone buzzed. _Are you okay?_ her mom sent.

_Yeah, just got caught up in something after school. I'll be home soon,_ she sent. "I need to go...My mom is freaking out. For good reason, too, considering I was almost mugged yesterday..."

Maddie nodded, eyeing the bandage hiding slightly under her bangs. "Okay. You'll be okay?"

"Yeah. Just around the corner," Elizabeta said, smiling. She hugged Maddie. "I'm so sorry," she said again.

"It's no problem," Maddie said again.

Elizabeta stood up, and something fell out of her pocket. When she turned around to identify the object, she accidentally stepped on it, feeling the object crumble under her foot.

Her fake rose from Gilbert.

The last rose has died.

**TADA. **

**THIS TOOK ME FOREVER. I'M NOT EVEN KIDDING. :U**

**Okay. I don't really have much to say.**

**Other than this:**

**I GOT NEW CRAYONS! :D X3 YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY! X3 :D**

**NOW I don't have anything else to say. **

**Review, please. I love you all~! *blows a kiss***


	11. Hockey

**Herro, peopre of earth, my name Memoranda, and I take over world wiff coor Japan accent. :B Who join my army of Girbirds and unicorns and churros? :D **

**Lol. I'm kidding. (about the Japanese accent part) WHO SAID THAT**

**:D I'm ready for school to end~! And I've only been in it for two days~! That's gotta be some kind of record, at least for me~! :3**

**Okey. **

**EnharmonicAngel: There was a little itsy bit of AusHun in there somewhere...Where did I leave it...? I dunno. :3 Thanks for the review~**

**EqualDemise731: That's what I thought for a while, too. I HAVE NO CONTROL OF THIS STORY. I'M SERIOUS. :U Whenever my brain tries to write something, my fingers say, "That's stupid. Do it like this." AND THEN THEY TAKE OVER AND WRITE CRACK STUFF. :U **

**Quinn Fiberoptic: Thanks~! Yeah, I was trying to not to make people hate Prussia. **

**ninjakat405: Aw, I'm sorry...*hug you* I'm never really able to do much more than give virtual hugs and tell people it's alright, other than spreading awareness about it...And from your review, I can tell that you're pretty awesome~! It's the way people think about themselves that matter. If they let people's harsh words get to their heads, they start truly beleiving in it. But if they forget about the words, they lift themselves up. :3 You got guts, kiddo. Heh, I wrote that so long ago I was all, "Whut? Icicle? What's that supposed to mea-OH! Riiiiight." **

**ChubbyCubby23: Ve~ Grazie~ :3**

**Kitana Lunara: Awwww. Poor Prussia. (maybe if he stopped being a perv) WHO SAID THAT :U JK. I lub him. :3**

**Waveripple of Team Sunrise: ...you reviewed a lot. I officially love you. :D Okey...First one~! YEY VIRTUAL COOKIE~ OMNOMNOM~**

**-Me too! It was surprising...I wasn't really trying to pair them, but now that I think about it, they both seem good for each other~! Like, in the anime, they're both pushed around by Russia and all that! **

**-Thanks~! I kinda got it off what some people call the Butterfly Project, where they draw butterflies instead of flowers. Then you can't hurt your arms, or wash it off, because then you'd be killing the butterflies. It's kinda a state of mind thing, like, if you don't have the will to keep yourself safe, at least protect the butterflies. Or flowers. Butterflies came first. :B**

**-Heh, sorry about that. Keep writing~!**

**-Yeah, I get it. I got a flame with TERRIBLE grammar, I just sat there and laughed because it was so pathetic. I don't remember if they spelled more than five words right, and then they mixed sentences, and...It was just pathetic. XD Rambling is okay! It gives me something to read, and ideas, on occasion. If the person in question allows me to use said ideas. :3**

**-Aw, you're not a horrible person. You said you've never seen them, and if there were, you'd be in class. Don't feel bad. **

**-Yeah, those are hurtful words. Heh, I know about the anime references. Sometimes in History class I'd burst out in giggles, and then everyone would stare at me, and then I'd laugh harder. XD**

**-Yeah, I know. It's important to know when to stop, even when you're just joking. **

**-Yepyepyep~**

**-OM NOM NOM MORE COOKIES~! :D Yeah, I was planning on that, too. I'mma have Ukraine, like, take stalker-pictures of bullied people and make the slide-show. Or something like that. :B **

**Wowwww. Thank you so much for reviewing so many times~! X3 *glomps you***

**ZeldaLove Akira-Chan: I knowwwww. I kinda jotted down the ending because it made me sad. :( I know, I love Hungary~! :D Good idea~ I'll do that too. If I ever see anyone. :3 Gracias, mi amiga~! :3**

**Guest: Yeah, I forgot to put where that was from. Glad you got the reference~! :D You're welcome. I'm just doing what I think is right. Thanks for reviewing~**

**Charlotte and Rashka: Wow, you reviewed a lot, too! :D And on OMUL and MMUL~! I love you so much~! **

**-I dunno! :U I dunno what I was thinking! Well, I think I did, 'cause I wrote last chapter about it and all that...:B**

**-Heh, that's cool. I've never considered that, but it seems legit. :3**

**-Spasibo~ Ameripan is probably my second favorite America pairing, the first one being USUK. :3 **

**-And I only ship Romano and Spain with each other. :3**

**-I KNOW. I SHOULD REBEL AGAINST MY PARENTS. :D I'm so kidding, I love them too much. :3 Yeah...some people just don't get it. If you don't like a story, leave it. You can give them sensible advice, politely and respectfully, so no one's feelings get hurt, but telling them it's terrible is just plain retarded. :U**

**-Heh, so, I've been using Dylan as the name for the bullies in my stories, and I got that idea before I moved, and now there's a guy named Dylan where I live now. So every time I pass him in the halls, I feel slightly guilty for making him a bully. XD**

**-Thanks~! And thanks for all the reviews~! **

**Smileey: Really? :3 Thanks! And what I think is amazing is that no one's flamed me on this story. Either they agree with me, or they read chapter five and decided I had a point, or they're just ignoring/ not seeing the story. Or they're silently stalking me. (cue the paranoia) WHO SAID THAT**

**CelticGirl7: Yeah. The whole baby process just seems so gross to me. =~= I think it saves a lot of stress to just adopt, or something. o3o**

**it's pronounced 'lowlight: You reviewed a lot, too! :D Yayyy! I **_**love**_** spam reviews. Like, no joke, they're the bomb. XD **

**-"Thought out"...? Eheheheh, no. I don't really plan my stories. :B I guess it might seem like I do, but I don't really. XD **

**-Fankyew~~! X3**

**-I just thought if Japan really did put up with this, (s)he'd be really secretive about it, and good at hiding it. Yeah, this chapter came almost completely -from experience. Not the America part, though. I have stopped and gotten better with the bad thoughts and all that, and I started doing the flower thing. :3 If you ever need to talk, I'm here for you. **

**-Looooopeyyyyyy...!**

**-Yeah. Some people just don't get it. They think it's alright, but it's really not. They often don't know how much they're hurting people. **

**-Uh-huh. :3 I think in the fandom, Belarus and Lichtenstein are friends, so, ja. :3**

**-Fankyew~! :D I was like, crying while writing this chapter! I dun like to hurt mein prescious Italia! D:**

**-Well, it depends on how the friend takes it. :3 Sometimes I joke with my friends like that, too. (what friends?) WHO SAID THAT:U Lol, I'm kidding. **

**-Yessssss...Everyone will become one with Mother Russiaaa...:D **

**-I knowwww. Prussia's one of my favorite characters. D: I'M HURTING ALL THE CHARACTERS I LOVE. D: **

**Okay. Thanks for spam-reviewing me. :3 **

**WOWWW. LONG RESPONSES ARE LONG. :D I really love all of you guys. :3 **

**Okay...so...now I'm just adding longetivity to the AN. But as a Christian, I feel I should talk about this. **

**YOU GUYS HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO SKIP THIS.**

**I **_**don't**_** support gay rights. I'm **_**not**_** homophobic. People **_**are**_** people, no matter what religion, sexuality, nationality, or personality. Every human deserves to be treated with respect. So, disrespecting people because of who they are? It's not fair. **

**All you out there who are Christian, how would you like it if people stared at you because of your religion? I'm not accusing anyone of being homophobic, don't get me wrong. I'm just putting it in perspective. Or, trying to. It's kind of the same, but backwards. **

**1st Corinthians 6: 9-11 says this: **_**Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.**_

**HOWEVER. 1st Corinthians 10: 23 says this: "**_**Everything is permissible"- but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"- but not everything is constructive.**_

**(BTW, I'm using the NIV version) So, God doesn't control you. He's like a parent- which, He technically **_**is**_**- who only wants the best for you. Your parents can't **_**force**_** you to do anything. God, actually, can force you, because he made you, but he doesn't. He gives you free will. It's like that saying goes, "If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it's yours." He lets us, His children, go. He lets us do whatever. But it must really make His day whenever one of his long-lost children come back to Him. The Bible is His warning. In 1st Cor. 10: 23, he's telling you- through Paul- that you do indeed have free will. But, depending on what exactly it is you're doing, it won't be good for you in the future. It says it plain and simple, right there. All you have to do is read it and follow it. **

**Now, I'm not forcing Christianity down your throats. I'm doing what Christ Jesus told all His disciples to do (**_**Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of time. **_**Matthew 28: 19-20), which, in a nutshell, is give you the choice. I'm asking- not telling- you to be open-minded. Try church. Just go for one Sunday, or one Youth Group meeting. Only one. Then you can decide. If you don't want to, than that's completely up to you. **

**Go right ahead. Give me some flack for this. I'm doing what I think will help people who need help. I'll stand firm in what I believe. You can stand firm in yours. I'm not judging you at all. Everyone, especially me, has sinned. I'm not a perfect Christian. Far from it. I still lie. I still make bad decisions. I still think things I shouldn't. **

**If I made you think about attending church or Youth Group, tell me. If you think I should stop preaching and just write, go ahead and tell me that, too. Ask me questions, criticize me, and tell me if you liked my "sermon", anything. You can tell me in a review or PM me, or whatever. **

**Alright. Thank you to everyone who actually took the time to read that. :3 I felt like I was kinda talking in circles, for a while there. :I **

**Long AN is long. ^_^**

**I don't own Hetalia, or Pandora Hearts. I JUST NEEDED S'MORE CHARACTERS, ALRIGHT?! :U This is a one-chapter-dealio, so, ja. o3o Yes, the PH characters are wildly OOC, but there you go. **

**Jia is Fem!HK. Just so's ya know. o3o**

**I HAVE NO KNLOWLEDGE OF HOCKEY. So, if you see mistakes on the plays or something, please let me know, because I don't watch/ play hockey at all. :B**

**FUN FACT: Hanatamago means flower-egg in Japanese. :3**

Homophobic bullying

If you saw him in the halls of Hetalia High, you'd probably avoid him. He was practically a giant. His eyes were hard and as cold as ice, hidden only slightly by blue wireframe glasses. His hair was a golden shade, hanging around his stern face. Some freshmen had mistaken him for a teacher. His accent, if you ever heard him speak, was incoherent.

Looking only at his appearance, this boy did not seem like one you would want to cross.

But let's look at his personality, shall we?

Once you get to know him, he was still shy, soft-spoken, and slightly intimidating, but he was kind. He helped those who needed help. His creative outlet was woodworking. He would never hurt a fly, spare for his enemy, Mathias Kohler.

Meet Berwald Oxenstierna, the horribly misunderstood gentle giant.

Throughout his years, Berwald had had one salivation. Tino Vainamoinen. The Finnish boy had soft blonde locks that perfectly framed his angelic face. His beautiful lavender eyes shone so brightly against his pale, creamy skin. In Berwald's eyes, Tino was the picture of perfection.

If only Tino wasn't terrified of him.

However, Berwald, infatuated with Tino's beauty, was oblivious to this common-known fact.

Oh, and the fact that most of his peers were homophobic.

Berwald walked to the ice rink after school for hockey practice. The Hetalia High Polar Bears were one of the best hockey teams in the region. The players were vicious; Maddie Williams, the shyest, gentlest girl in the school was the captain of the team. No one denied her the right: she was the best player on the team, hands down. It was like her skates were merely an extension of her feet, and she always seemed to know where the puck would go. The team consisted of her, Berwald, Mathias, Lukas, Emil, and, recently, Ivan. Berwald was the goalie, Maddie, Ivan, and Mathias were the offensive players, and Lukas and Emil were the defenseman.

Often, like today, Tino would come to practices and watch.

Today's practice was extremely brutal; Mathias had already gotten a puck to the back of the head twice, and Maddie took a hard wipe-out. "Okay," she panted, "I think it's time to call it a day."

Berwald had no objections. He was sweating behind his mask, and sore. He had saved most of the shots, but in exchange for bruises behind his padding. Everyone else was also breathing heavily.

Tino ran around, handing everyone small cups of water. Berwald attempted a smile at him. Tino looked startled, but returned it shakily, and he quickly left to hand a cup to Maddie.

"Okay," she announced after downing the water, "as you all know, the championship game's coming up. We're versing Pandora."

Everyone nodded and murmured about it.

"So, that means we're going to need a lot more practice," she continued. "We're good, I'm not gonna lie. But they're pretty good as well." She started unlacing her skates as she talked. "So, let's meet up here after school all this week. Be ready for more practices just like today. Keep yourself healthy and all that. Drink lots of water. And that's pretty much all I can think of right now, so, have a good rest of the day."

Berwald nodded and followed the rest of the guys to the bathroom to change. After changing back into jeans, tennis shoes, and a blue T-shirt, he neatly folded his jersey and rearranged his padding in his bag, slinging it over his shoulder and exiting.

Outside the rink, Tino was talking to his friends Eduard and Raivis. At the sight of him, the two Baltic-descended boys paled and started shaking. Tino stuttered to a stop mid-sentence, confused. Then he looked behind him and turned just as white.

"H-hi there, B-Berwald...," he said.

Berwald nodded in a greeting to all three, but he was looking at Tino.

"Um, hey. We gotta...we gotta go. See you tomorrow, Tino," Eduard said.

"Y-yeah. B-bye," Raivis echoed. The two walked swiftly away down the street, leaving Tino alone with the Swede.

Berwald reached into his pocket and held out a small wooden dog. "F'r you," he grunted.

"O-oh. Th-thanks a bunch, Berwald," Tino said shakily, carefully picking up the toy. "O-oh. It looks like Hanatamago..." he added, examining it closely.

Berwald nodded; that's what he was aiming for. Hamatamago was his dog, who often followed Tino around, too.

"Momma! Papa!" an excited voice cried from behind. It was little Peter Kirkland. The boy often felt neglected of the attention he craved from his older sister, and befriended Berwald and Tino. He liked to think of them as his "Momma" and "Papa," for some strange reason.

"Hi, Peter!" Tino greeted cheerfully, embracing the seventh-grader. Berwald nodded again and ruffled Peter's hair. Peter shifted his backpack and hung from Berwald's arm.

"Peter, do you have a lot of homework?" Tino asked, his motherly side appearing as soon as he noticed the weight on his back.

"Nope!" Peter answered happily. "I got a book from the library."

"A book?" Tino parroted. "Just one?"

"Yep!" he sang. Peter reached stopped walking, shrugged the straps off his shoulders, and opened his backpack. In it was a very large book; it was almost like a dictionary. When he removed it, the title was visible as "The countries of the world."

"Why do you need that?"

"I want to see if Sealand is in here!" Peter answered.

Tino smiled and petted the boy's hair, but he didn't answer. Peter was always going on about a small micronation dubbed "Sealand." He always insisted he was born there, and not in England like his sister, Alice.

"I'm going to be the king of Sealand one day," he told Tino and Berwald proudly.

"Of course you will, Peter," Tino encouraged. Berwald nodded in agreement.

"Alice says Sealand isn't a country, but I say it is. Sometimes you just gotta root for the little guys," Peter continued.

Tino said, "You're exactly right. I'm a little guy, too!"

The child giggled. "Papa's a big guy."

"Mmhmm," Berwald grunted, picking up the heavy book and walking again.

"No, I wanna carry it!" Peter protested, reaching for it. Berwald gave it to him, and he immediately doubled over from the weight. Tino started to help lift, but Peter again denied help. "I got it."

"Peter, let's go," a sharp voice called from behind them. They all looked behind to see a short girl with long blonde pigtails.

"Aw, but _Alice_...," Peter whined.

"No _buts_, Peter Kirkland, we'll be late," Alice told him sternly.

Peter pouted and stuffed the heavy book into his backpack and zipped it shut. "Bye Momma. Bye, Papa," he said morosely.

"Bye, Peter," Tino said.

"By'," Berwald grunted.

"Come on, then," Alice said impatiently, tapping her foot.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," grumbled Peter.

"You know they're not your parents, don't you?" Alice asked as she waved him in front of her. She looked over her shoulder and gave the two a pointed glare.

"Yeah. But I can still call them that."

And then the two were out of earshot.

"W-well, I should get going, too," Tino said awkwardly.

"W'lk you h'me," Berwald suggested.

"Oh. Alright. I mean, we live next door to each other. Yeah, that makes sense...," Tino said.

The two walk in silence, which seemed to suit both of them just fine. "Well...bye, then," Tino said as he entered his own house. Berwald nodded and walked into his. The familiar smell of fresh wood greeted him, and he took a deep breath. A few high-pitched barks sounded, and the little ball of white fur hurled itself at the Swede. Hanatamago started licking Berwald's sweaty ankles, and he didn't stop until Berwald picked him up; then he started licking his face. Berwald pet the dog affectionately.

Suddenly, Hanatamago jumped down from his arms, yipping at the door, which had just been knocked on.

Berwald opened the door. No one was there. He stepped out on the porch and a bucket of water was dumped on him.

Berwald sputtered as Hanatamago yelped loudly and jumped back. He looked up, and saw no one. But a way down the road was a girl and a boy sprinting away, laughing loudly. A ladder was leaning against the side of his house.

A soaking wet Mathias began chasing them, howling curses at the top of his lungs. Lukas and Emil, both dripping water, came up to him. "I see they got you too," Lukas noted.

Berwald nodded. "Wh' w's th't?" he asked.

"Some kids from Pandora. They must be going after the hockey team," Emil answered, squeezing his sleeves to rid them of water.

Tino came running up. "Did- did you guys- Oh. They got you too?"

"Obviously."

Tino was soaking wet. His pale blue T-shirt clung to his thin body. His jeans were not spared, nor his shoes. Berwald kind of liked the way his hair stuck to his face. Hanatamago, who also got wet, ran between Berwald's legs and curled against Tino's ankles.

"Why did they get you, Tino?" Lukas asked. "You're not on the hockey team."

Tino shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it's 'cause I'm always hanging around you guys at practice?"

Mathias came running up. He was also dripping moisture, and he was panting from the chase. "They...got...away...," he reported between heaving breaths.

"You did your best, Mathias," Tino said kindly.

"Heh...Hoo, boy. They're in for a shock if they go after Ivan," Mathias commented.

Berwald agreed. Ivan was just as intimidating as he was, but Ivan would actually do something about it.

Berwald went in his house for a minute. He came back out with a zip-up hoodie, which he wrapped around Tino's shoulders.

"Wha-?" Tino started. "O-oh. Thank you, Berwald."

"Ooh, me too, 'Waldo," Mathias said. "I'm freezing."

Berwald shot Mathias a look at the nickname, but he waved everyone inside his house. He went into the kitchen and started making coffee. It was a very cool day for spring, and the water didn't help.

"I don't want coffee," Lukas said, shooting Mathias a pointed glare. Mathias grinned impishly.

The phone rang. "'Lo?" Berwald asked into the receiver.

"Did people just come and dump water on you?" Maddie asked frantically.

"Y's."

"What about the other guys? They live close to you, don't they?"

"Th'y're h're."

Maddie sighed in frustration. "They're from Pandora, aren't they?"

"'Mil th'nks s'."

"Okay. Thanks, Berwald. I was just checking up."

"'Kay."

"Bye, then."

"S' ya."

Maddie hung up.

"Who was that, Waldo?" Mathias asked, sipping coffee from a mug.

"M'ddie."

"She got water'd, too?"

"Y's."

"Aw. I hope she's okay," Tino said worriedly. "She's been so stressed lately, with the championship coming up and all."

"Sh' sa'd sh' w's f'ne," Berwald supplied.

"Did she say if Ivan was okay?" Tino asked.

Berwald shook his head.

"Oh. Does anyone know his number?"

Silence.

"I'll call Eduard and ask if Toris knows," he said.

"Ph'ne's 'ver th're," Berwald offered, pointing at it.

"No thanks, Berwald," Tino declined. "I'll just go back to my house. Here's your jacket, by the way."

Berwald took it and stood up. "W'lk you th're," he said.

"Oh, no, really. It's just next door."

Berwald shrugged and patted Tino's soft, still-wet hair. Tino shied away.

"...Dude, I can hardly understand you, and Tino's over there like your accent is nonexistent," Mathias said, leaning back in his chair.

"Shut 'p."

"What?" Mathias asked, leaning forward and cupping his hand around his ear. "I can't understand you."

Lukas punched the Dane. "Leave him alone."

"S'okay, L'kas."

"He still needs to learn to be more polite."

"Oh man, is that the time?" Emil asked. "I have to go."

"Ooh, got a date with Jia?" Mathias teased.

At the mention of the girl from Hong Kong, Emil flushed red. "We're studying. It's not a date."

"Ahahah, Emil's got a date with a _girl_."

"What, d'you expect me to have a date with a _boy_?"

"No. 'Cause then you'd be like Waldo." Mathias smirked at the Swede.

"Mathias!" Lukas said sharply. Berwald's sexuality was not a topic that was comfortable to discuss.

"Oh, come on. It's not like you're in the closet about it," Mathias said, looking at Berwald, who was glaring back, the faintest blush recognizable on his face. "We all know you're head over heels for Tino."

"Shut 'p, M'thias."

"Yeah. Shut up," Lukas agreed, punching Mathias again.

"...I'm leaving," Emil announced, leaving. "Bye, Berwald."

"Bye, 'Mil."

"And we're dry," Lukas said, pulling on Mathias' sleeve. "Thanks for inviting us in here, Berwald."

"Y'u're W'lc'me. Bye," Berwald grunted.

Outside an open window, a girl with long brown hair looked gleefully at a girl who looked almost exactly like her, spare for the hair color. In a surprised whisper, she asked, "He's _gay_?" **(This is supposed to be Alice and Alyss. o3o)**

XXXXXXXXXXX

The Pandora hockey players kept pranking the Hetalia team throughout the week. Maddie was doing her best to ignore them, but her stress level was building rapidly; everyone on the team could sense it. And judging by the intensity she had on the ice, an angry Maddie was not a Maddie you wanted to encounter.

The pranks were mostly set on Berwald and, to the team's bafflement, Tino. It happened so often that Berwald was starting to memorize their faces. There was a boy with blond hair and green eyes, a boy with black hair and gold eyes, a boy with silver hair and red eyes, a girl who looked like the first boy, a girl with reddish-pink hair, and a girl with grey hair. And two other girls, who look like twins, always follow them; Berwald thinks that they're the bench players.

Sometimes they call each other by name; Berwald has heard the names Oz, Break, Shannon, Echo, and Alice used for a few of them, but the others were just nameless opponents to him.

Each time Maddie had to stop practice because of distractions, the angrier she got. One day, the team walked in to see that the rink was spray-painted with Pandora's school colors. When they left to get an adult, they found out that it was vanishing ink, and they looked delusional. Maddie had been taking out her frustrations out on the team with extra-long practices and longer motivational speeches. "We _have_ to win," she kept saying. "We _have_ to."

Thursday, halfway through practice, the blades fell off everyone's skates almost all at once. Emil took the worst fall, but Ivan got a pretty bad one, too. Berwald ended up accidentally hitting himself on the head with his hockey stick.

"ALRIGHT, THAT IS _IT!_!" Maddie screamed, picking herself up from off the ice. She stomped and slided off the ice, towards the giggles emanating from the corner. When the twin girls saw she was coming, they jumped up and darted off. Maddie grabbed the one with white hair's shirt before she could escape. "Do you have _any_ idea how _dangerous_ this is!?" she shrieked in her face. "You could've _seriously_ hurt one of my players!"

"Get out of my face!" the girl snarled, shoving Maddie away.

"C'mon, Alyss, let's get outta here," the brown-haired girl muttered, pulling her out the door. They both ran out before Maddie could stop them.

"AARGH!" Maddie yelled in frustration.

"Hey, hey, calm down!" Mathias called, leaning on his hockey stick for balance.

"We have to win Friday," she chanted furiously. "We have to win."

Tino had laced up his own skates, and was darting around the rink, helping up the fallen and tending to their injuries. Ivan was already pretty weak, considering he was recovering from a trip to the hospital, so Maddie made him sit out. Emil had blood dripping from his nose, but he was okay. He insisted on continuing playing. Everyone else just had a few minor bruises from their wipeouts.

Berwald had removed his mask. Tino glided up, first-aid kit in hand. "You're okay?" he asked.

"Y's."

"You've got a bruise on your forehead," Tino pointed out, gesturing to his own forehead to emphasize.

"'M ok'y," Berwald protested. Tino still pulled out an ice pack and gave it to him with the instruction to hold it against his head. Berwald did as he was told; he felt butterflies as the Finnish boy's fingers brushed against his own.

"I think we can call it a day," Maddie suggested. She had calmed down quite a bit, but she was still seething. It was scary for the rest of the team; Maddie hardly ever raised her voice above a whisper unless she was ready-to-kill mad. "I want you guys to stay with someone who's not on the team until Friday, got it? Maybe that'll scare them off..."

The team left and went home. Berwald, Tino, Mathias, Emil, and Lukas walked together, almost like they were protecting each other from a serial killer. Finally, it was only Tino and Berwald. They were parting ways when a loud call of "Hey! Queers!" resounded around the cul-de-sac.

Berwald and Tino seemed to stop at the same time. All of the Pandora hockey team was there, with what looked a lot like balloons in their hands. As the brown-haired twin (Berwald thinks her name is Alice) throws hers, he sees that they're not full of water like he expected, but paint. She had missed, and it exploded over the grass, dying it white.

"We don't like homosexuals around here," she called. The gray-haired girl (he thinks her name is Echo) throws hers with deadly accuracy, and it explodes on Berwald's head.

"'Nside, T'no!" he orders firmly. Tino stands there, ridged. He falls over as the silver-haired boy's (Break, he thinks) paint balloon hits his chest.

That crossed the line for Berwald. He didn't care what happened to him, but when others messed with Tino like that, he got _angry._

Break hardly seemed to know what hit him. One second he was there, laughing, and the next, he was on the ground, dazed and bleeding from his nose. "Whoa!" the boy named Oz said. "Let's get out of here!"

"Wait for me!" Break called, crawling doggedly towards them.

"You're dead tomorrow, d'you hear me, ***? You're _dead_!" the boy named Gil promised.

Berwald hurried over to where a paint-splattered Tino sat in shock. "Y-you _punched_ him...!" he whispered in horror.

"Y's. Th'y threw a b'lloon at you," Berwald said.

Tino's lavender eyes traveled downward to his chest, which was painted white. "B-but...," he stuttered, "I-I'm n-not...I'm not g-gay..." Tino's eyes suddenly snapped up to Berwald's. "B-but that means...!"

Berwald shrugged.

Tino just stared at the taller boy, dumbstruck. "Why didn't you _tell_ me?" he finally asked.

Berwald remained silent.

"...Oh, no," Tino moaned. "You mean...you...and me..."

Berwald nodded.

"Berwald..." Tino said. "I-...I'm _straight!_"

"I kn'w."

"I'm sorry!" Tino gasped. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you or anything...! I just...I'm just...not interested...?"

Berwald hesitated before answering with, "S'okay."

"I'm sorry," Tino said again, sounding a lot like a broken record. "I'm sorry." Then he got up, still repeating himself, and backed away towards his house.

Berwald got up and entered his own. He walked straight past Hanatamago, and sat down at the table with his head in his hands. _Is this what it's like to have your heart broken?_

XXXXXXXX

"Okay. Today's the day," Maddie lectured nervously. "We have to win this. It's_ our_ night. We've got this thing in the bag."

"Maddie," Mathias said. "Take a chill pill. We're gonna do fine."

The rest of the team didn't look so sure. Lukas and Emil were emotionless as usual, but there was a tense air around them. Ivan kept tapping his foot, and Berwald was gnawing on his fingernails. It was rather funny: Maddie hardly ever talked outside of the rink, but when she was pressured like this, she wouldn't shut up.

Maddie kept looking back in the stands, where Toris, Eduard, Raivis, and Lixie sat. Toris was doing his best to give her encouraging nods whenever he was met with desperate looks. Maddie was freaking out.

Tino wasn't here.

"Oh my gosh, it's almost time," Maddie said. "Get ready, get ready, get ready, we're almost up!"

Everyone got up and waited for their cue. Finally, they were introduced, and they skated out, doing their pre-game routine for the audience, both locals and people from Pandora. Then the Pandora kids did their routine. When the referee called the captains up to shake hands, both Maddie and the boy named Oz looked like they were trying to break each other's fingers.

Berwald took his place in front of the goal. The ref holds the puck out, in front of Ivan and the girl named Shannon for the faceoff. _Three...two...one..._, Berwald counts in his head. The puck is dropped, and the game finally started.

Chaos erupted on the ice. Shannon was not as dainty and ladylike as she looked. Almost immediately, she hit the puck away, nearly hitting Emil in the head. Berwald shifted himself over to that side of the goal, ready to block. But before he could blink, the puck was shot by the girl named Echo, and it went straight past him.

"No!" the audience chorused.

One point appeared on the board for the visiting team.

Maddie looked like she was going to cry.

"S'rry...," Berwald mumbled, even though no one was close enough to hear him over the disappointed roar half the onlookers were making. "S'rry..."

The next point also went to Pandora.

Berwald just couldn't focus. The words Tino used on him yesterday...The harsh names he was called...They really got to him.

_Focus, Oxensteirna. Focus_, he told himself firmly. _Get your head in the game._

He took a wild whiff at the oncoming puck, but it still made it into the goal; three points for Pandora...

"Time out!" Maddie called desperately. The team made its way back to the player bench. "Berwald, what are you _doing_ out there!?" Maddie asked shrilly.

"D'stract'd," he grunted, wiping sweat from his brow with his forearm.

"_Distracted_!?" Maddie echoed. "Snap out of it and start playing!"

Berwald nodded, furrowing his eyebrows in concentration as he pulled his mask over his face.

They got back on the ice, and the whistle blowed. It was all Berwald could do to keep his eyes glued on the puck; it changed from person to person so fast. He could barely hear his own breathing over the cacophony of cheers and hissing from the crowd, the sharp, metallic _clang_ the blades made when they skimmed over the ice, and the loud _whack_ the sticks made when the puck was hit.

The whistle blowed again as there was a sharp cry of pain; one of the Pandora players had purposely knocked Ivan down, knowing he was already hurt. "Penalty!" the ref called.

Maddie was on her knees next to Ivan as he held his arm. "You're okay? Can you still play?" she kept asking. He seemed to grit his teeth as he used his stick and Maddie to get him back on his skates.

"Take defense," she told him. "Lukas, get up here and play offense!" Lukas nodded and glided up. Ivan slowly made his way next to Emil, still grimacing in pain.

It seemed that neither of the two had sufficient practice on their new positions, but they were trying their best.

Finally, it was first intermission. The Pandora team was winning with seven points against three.

"Guys," Maddie was saying desperately. "we need to step it up!" She kept talking, but Berwald wasn't listening. His eyes were perusing the stands, looking for a flash of pale blonde. Maybe even blue, the color Tino wore most often. He just needed to see him.

If Tino was a girl, would he have accepted him?

"Yo Waldo!" Mathias yelled. "Wake up and smell the coffee! You're being spoken to!"

Berwald jerked his eyes up, staring uncomprehendingly into Maddie's eyes. "I'll take goalie; you go offensive." Her words made no sense to Berwald. All he could do was stare at her irises. Purple.

Just like Tino's.

"We gotta get out there!" someone shouted, pushing Berwald off on the ice. He dutifully skated up front.

By the time second intermission came, Pandora was still winning with eleven points to eight. Mathias and Lukas had made most of the goals; they worked well together.

"Berwald, what's gotten _into_ you!?" Maddie screeched.

"T'ld you," he panted. "D'str'cted."

"What's distracting you!?"

"N'thing," Berwald answered immediately, taking a large gulp of water. _It's nothing. Just a state of my mind. I can do this. Just forget about Tino; he's not coming. _

"Well, it better stop distracting you!" Maddie said, waving him and the rest of the team back on the ice.

_Concentrate_, he told himself. _Concentrate._

Lukas shot and made the goal. Eleven to nine.

Somehow, Berwald got the puck. He could see half the Pandora team coming at him, ready to beat him into the ice. Everything was suddenly a blur; time seemed to slow down around him. Berwald suddenly didn't know what to do.

Then, he heard one voice over the rest. "Shoot it, Berwald!" The Swede didn't need to turn to recognize that voice.

Tino.

Berwald swung his stick back and hit the puck with a sharp _whap_ in the direction of the Pandora team's goal. He didn't remember the name of the goalie, but they took a wild dive, and...!

The board flashed eleven to ten.

The crowd cheered.

Berwald turned around on his skates. His eyes desperately searched through the crowd, looking for Tino. And then he saw him.

Warmth flooded inside of Berwald, and he waved. Tino waved back, giving him two thumbs up.

"Two more points!" Maddie cheered.

That started a mantra in Berwald's head. he glanced at the clock: three more minutes.

_Hopefully, that's all I need,_ he told himself.

Berwald took off on his skates with renewed energy at seeing the Fin. He dodged through the players, both his team and the opposers. He needed to find the puck.

There was a scuffle in front of him between Mathias and the girl named Shannon. Berwald joined it, but so did the boy named Gil. Gil hooked Berwald's leg with his stick, sending the Swede to the ground.

The whistle blew. "Penalty!" the ref called. Gil got sent to the penalty box.

_Two minutes_, Berwald read.

With a wild leap of faith, he swung his stick. He hoped the sharp _whack_ he heard was the puck, and not somebody's stick.

The audience cheered.

Berwald looked up at the scoreboard.

"Eleven to eleven!" Mathias yelled excitedly. "We're tied!"

_One minute..._

Berwald darted off on his skates, traveling quickly to locate the puck again. But before he could find it, a sharp _crack_ resounded around the rink.

The crown screamed in approval.

Berwald looked around, confused. Then the buzzer sounded.

He looked up at the scoreboard.

Eleven to twelve.

"We won!" Maddie was shrieking over and over again. "We won!"

Mathias herded everyone into a group hug, and even Emil and Lukas didn't have the energy to oppose. The team stayed like that for a good five minutes, yelling and shouting hoarsely into each other's ears. Maddie lifted the trophy into the air triumphantly, nearly crying in excitement.

Berwald didn't get it; who had shot the goal? His team mates were next to him; he was sure of it.

Berwald looked over his shoulder. One of the players of the Pandora team was nearly screaming at the other. The goalie. Apparently, the goalie had knocked the puck backwards into their own goal, scoring the winning point against them.

After what seemed like an eternity, the team skated off the ice to meet a very happy crowd. Almost as soon as Berwald stepped off, Tino launched himself into his arms. Berwald happily accepted the embrace.

Finally, he pried himself from the Fin and went to the locker room to change and freshen up.

When he came back out, people were patting his back, congratulating him, shaking hands with him. He was uncomfortable with all the attention. He exited the rink at the first chance he got, bidding his team mates goodbye.

"Hey!" someone called from behind.

Berwald turned around to see Tino again. "H'y," he greeted.

"You did really great," Tino gushed.

"Th'nks," Berwald grunted.

"I-...I'm sorry about yesterday. I don't know if I really took it the right way," Tino said sheepishly. "I mean, I really like being your friend. I don't want to stop being your friend just because of a couple of jerks."

Berwald tried to smile; showing facial expression was not a strong point for him, and he didn't want to scare his again. But, Tino smiled back warmly, unafraid.

"Th'nks, T'no."

**TADA**

**Man, I'm on a roll with these cheezey endings. :D**

**Ahahah, you can brick me now. I know, this is almost a month late. I'M SORRY, OKAY?! D: But here it is! It's LONG overdue, but here it is! D: **

**Okay. I probably won't overlap into another anime like that. I just needed another group of people for them to verse, and I didn't want OCs. So, the guy with blond hair and green eyes is Oz, the girl who looks like him is Ada, his sister. Break is the guy with white hair and red eyes. Gil is not Prussia, he's the guy with black hair and gold eyes (sorry, Prussia fangirls). Echo is the girl with gray hair and blue eyes. Shannon is the girl with pinkish hair. And the twins are Alice and Alyss. Just so's ya know. :3**

**OKAY OKAY OKAY, THE TOMATOES ARE OVER THERE. DON'T HOLD BACK. THROW THEM AT ME. Being **_**this**_** late is unacceptable, so, ja. **

***is tomato'd***

**Ahahah. The top AN is three and a half pages long. XD**


	12. No Matter What

**Hey guys~! Slightly quick update, but better than a super long wait~! :D**

**Quinn Fiberoptic: Heh, thanks. What have I told you about maiming people...? (that it's completely acceptable if you have a good enough reason) WHO SAID THAT I'm so kidding. XD**

**Enharmonic Angel: I think I answered this review by PM...If not...Yeah, I think I made my point clear, and, ja, I'll use Greece sometime soon. :3 I have the memory of a baby goldfish, so, ja. :B**

**EqualDemise731: Okey. Is it hockey season yet? Does hockey even have a season? (you can obviously see how terrible she is at all sports) WHO SAID THAT**

**CelticGirl7: Eeeeeexactleh. I knowwww~! I couldn't just let them **_**lose**_**! After the meaness to Sve and Finny! D:**

**ChancellorPuddingHead: Heh, I remember answering this one by PM! Again, I'm sorry I'm not good at writing yaoi, and PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME WRITE A SUFIN LEMON! D: (make her do it~! :D) WHO SAID THAT PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE STUPID VOICE **

**Canadagirl52: Thanks! Moscow is not needed, thankfully. :3 **

**its pronounced 'lowlight': Yeah. **_**forcing**_** someone to love someone is a big no-no. You'd think society would've learned after all the arranged marriges with the princess running away and falling in love with a beggar boy. Or is that just Aladdin? o3o XD **

**Rose Thourn: Heh, I literally fangirl-squee'd when I read this. I'm really really glad to know I'm making a difference. :3**

**Kitana Lunara: Fankyew~! O/U/O It's- uhm- duh- gah-I don't really know what to say. I feel so awkward. But your review really made me happy! **

**RukiaoftheBloodMoon: I love Pandora Hearts~! And, like I said, i neEDED MORE CHARACTERS I'M SERIOUS IT'S GETTING HARDER ANd HARDER BECAUSE ALL THE VICTIM CHARACTERS I'VE USEd KNOW BETTER THAN BULLYING BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN BULLIED SO THEY KNOW BETTER AND I JUST SAID THAT BUT- *deep breath* (feel free to smack some sense into her) WHO SAID THAT**

**Anon: Heh, thanks. Or, you're welcome? I'm so awkward. :B Sorryyy... **

**CanadianShikigami: Thanks! Aw, I'm sorry. *hugs* You'll never know how much I hate helping people on the internet. I know I do help because they tell me, and then i caN'T APPERATE BECAUSE I NEVER WENT TO HOGWARTS SO I CAN'T APPERATE TO WHERE ALL MY BEAUTIFUL REVIEWERS ARE AND HUG THEM AND GIVE THEM CHOCOLATE AND THEN APPERATE AWAY AGAIN AND MISS yoU GUYS GOING "WHO THE FREAK WAS THAT AND WHY DID SHE GIVE ME HUGS AND CHOCOLATE" AND- *deep breath* (like I said. Here's a baseball bat. Don't hold back) WHO SAID THAT**

**Kawaii Waffle-chan DESU: Okay, lemme just first say YOUR PEN NAME IS SO CUTE ASDFGHJKL And second, YES HOLY CHEESE-ITS MY FIRST INTERNET PROPOSAL :D I GOTTA GO GET A DRESS OR CAN I JUST WEAR A TUXEDO BECAUSE I LIKE TUXES BETTER THAN DRESSES AND WHAT FLAVOR SHOULD THE CAKE BE WHO'S GONNA BE THE BEST MAN OR THE MAID OF HONOR WHAT SONG SHOULD WE DANCE TO AND WHEN WE GET OLD AND ONE OF US DIES WE CAn MAKE OURSELVES FEEL BETTER BY GOING "YUS I GET THE WHOLE BED NOW" (bad choice there, mate, she's insane) WHO SAID THAT **

**Waveripple of Team Sunrise: Heh, yeah, but the ranting made me feel better. :3 I'm weird like that. :3 Yeah, I'll do rumors soon. Maybe with Estonia or Latvia or HK, or Iceland, or China, or something. I think those are the only characters I have left. OH right I have Sealand. Oh, ja, and Taiwan. AND GREECE ASDFGHJKL I HAVE MORE CHARACTERS THAN I HAVE IDEAS FOR D: And someone suggested the Fangirls OCs, but I'll save that for the very end if I still have ideas. :3**

**caset290: Aw, it cut it off! Are you "A True Hetalia Fangirl," or, something along those lines? o3o YES PLEASE FOLLOW ME I'M SO TUMBLR-UNFAMOUS (let's see how far we can push her over the edge! Don't follow her!) WHO SAID THAT**

**Charlotte and Rashka: I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY THIS CHAPTER iS LATE TOO ACK I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY! I'm sorry about the OMUL wait, too, I've been trying to make myself write this before I started anything else and look how well that worked, I ended up fixing two of the MMUL crappy chappies and I'm still not done with this! :U AFTER I FINISH THIS OMUL WILL BE THE VERY NEXT THIS I START ON OKAY**

**Okay. IF ANY OF YOU HAVE IDEAS PLEASE PLEASE TELL ME BECAUSE I HAVE, LIKE, TWO. WHICH MEANS, LIKE, TWO MORE CHAPTERS. AND I LIKE TO WRITE THIS, SO, I DON'T WANT THIS TO END**

**Oh, ja, you guys can tell me you love me if you want. I know you're not trying to be weird, and I love you too~! If you are trying to be weird...LET'S BE WEIRD TOGETHER! ;D *suggestive face* Helloooo~~ ;D**

**I have this chapter, ignoring, with S. Korea and then rumors with someone whom I have not yet decided. I'll probably do that with China, because he's one of the main characters I somehow missed WAIT I THOUGHT IT WAS JAPAN WHO WAS THE NINJA **

**Have you guys noticed I'm hyper today? o3o **

**No?**

**Well, I am. :3 **

**THAT MEANS CRACK JUST A FAIR WARNING**

**WAIT WAIT WAIT IMPORTANT NOTE! :U **

**Kasem is Thailand, Lien is Vietnam, and Mei is Taiwan. :3 And Jia is Hong Kong. I just made up a random name for Hong Kong, because I'm sure there's not a lot of genderbent! HK fics. **

**NOTES ABOUT THEM THAT AREN'T COMMONLY-KNOWN: Thai has a fat pet elephant named Toto. I made him a dog for the same reason I made Mr. Kumajirou one. Viet has a paddle that's like China's wok or Hungary's frying pan. She actually doesn't know how to smile, and she asks Thai to teach her in the manga. HK **_**loves**_** firecrackers and talks like a valley girl, like Poland, and he has Iggy-brows. That is all official. Oyes, I did mah research. :D**

**Otay. Continue with the story.**

Silence

"Your breasts belong to me, da-ze~!" Yong Soo cried in triumph as he sailed through the air to land on his unsuspecting brother, his hands groping his unmistakably flat chest.

"Aiyaa!" Yao yelped, instinctively lashing out and punching the Korean in the face. "Don't _do_ that, Yong Soo!"

Yong Soo sat on the ground and pouted as he rubbed his sore nose.

"Oh, the silent treatment, is it, aru?" Yao asked, turning around to continue his cooking.

"No," Yong Soo answered sulkily. Then he brightened up and peered over his brother's shoulder at the wok on the stove. "What'cha makin', da-ze?"

"Chao mein," he replied stiffly, stirring in some Chinese herb to the mixture.

Yong Soo visibly deflated. "Why don't you ever make kimchi?"

"Because that stuff tastes like the underside of a dirty shoe," said Yao without turning around.

"Only you would know, with the food you eat, da-ze."

Yao slammed the wok against the stove, seething with rage. "You do _not_. _Insult. My cooking, aru._"

Yong Soo shrank back, staring guiltily at his shoes. With no answer, Yao turned back to his food. The Korean took a deep breath and yelled, "COOKING ORIGINATED IN KOREA DA-ZE!" and he ran to the other side of the kitchen to avoid being smacked in the face with the wok.

Yao flinched violently, and the contents of the wok splattered on the floor. The Chinese rounded on the Korean. "_Why don't you behave like a good child, huh?!"_ he hissed. "Go away and cause damage at someone else's house!"

Yong Soo slumped his shoulders and skulked away, sticking his hands in his pockets. The Korean lurched recklessly down the halls of the Asian-styled house, and he paused when he saw the door to Sakura's room ajar. Another impish grin attached itself to his features, and he jumped through the doorway with a yell.

Sakura was apparently doing homework at the time of the sibling-attack, and she jumped violently, losing her grip on the pencil in her hand and sending it across the room. Startled as she was, she answered calmly, "Hello, Yong Soo."

"Homework originated in Korea, da-ze," he said simply in greeting.

"I'm sure it did," she answered placidly, fishing a new pencil from her bag. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to be getting back to this assignment."

"D'you want me to show you how?" Yong Soo offered, bouncing on his toes eagerly.

"No thank you," Sakura declined. She paused for a few seconds to glance at her brother. "You seem very hyper today," she pointed out.

"A new episode of my K-Drama comes on tonight," he explained, grinning as if the mere thought of a new television show could bring world peace.

"That sounds nice," Sakura hummed lightly, nibbling on her eraser as she stared at her worksheet in thought.

"Need help?" he asked again.

"No thank you."

"I can show you how. You're doing algebra, right? Algebra originated in Korea. And I'm from Korea. So there."

"You're very kind, but I'm almost done," Sakura declined again, jotting down a few numbers on her piece of scratch paper.

"I can help," Yong Soo insisted, hovering over her shoulder. "See, like this." He reached down and tried to take the pencil out of her hands.

"No thank you, Yong Soo, I really don't need help!" Sakura replied, jerking her hand away.

"No! Look!" He kept trying to wrestle the pencil out of her hand, and he didn't stop until there was a small thud. Both of the siblings froze and looked to Sakura's desk, where her water bottle had been knocked over, right on the girl's homework.

Sakura jumped up to keep the water from dripping on her lap, and she snatched the paper from the puddle, a vein going on her forehead. She held her tongue, and the silence made Yong Soo feel worse than if she yelled at him like Yao did.

"I'm sorry..." he offered quietly, trying to soak up some water from the desk with his sleeve.

"Please leave," Sakura requested evenly.

Yong Soo scampered from the room like a guilty puppy. He stuck his hands in his pockets and slowly made his way up the corridor. He passed his other sibling's rooms, but they were all gone. Jia was out with that Icelandic boy, Emil, Mei stayed after school to work on a project, and as far as he knew, Kasem was teaching Lien how to smile. Like, no joke, Lien didn't know how to smile. At least, that was what he overheard.

What if that was the new episode of his K-Drama? Like, the heroine didn't know how to smile, or relax, or anything, and the hero has to come in and save her and stuff with laughter.

Toto, Kasem's super-fat elephant-dog, waddled down the hall, sniffing for handouts. "I don't have any food, Toto," Yong Soo said, letting the animal sniff his empty hands. Toto whined at him, giving him the big puppy eyes.

"I don't even know where Kasem keeps your food," Yong Soo told the dog, stroking his silky head.

Toto nudged his hand, almost as if he was saying, "Go ask! I'm hungry!"

"Alright," he said in answer to the dog's silent request. He took out his cell phone and dialed Kasem's number. The annoyingly loud beeping noise filled Yong Soo's ears, and then Kasem's voice said, "Hello."

"Hi Kasem, da-ze~!" Yong Soo chirped. "Toto is hungry and he want food, and could you come home? Because I'm really bored and lonely and I already made Sakura and Yao mad, and-"

"I'm not here right now. Please leave a message at the sound of the beep." The beep sounds, and Yong Soo closed his phone.

He sighed and petted Toto. "I guess it's just you and me, da-ze..."

Toto seemed to realize he wasn't getting food from Yong Soo, and he got up and walked away.

"Then I guess it's just me..."

The next day at school, Yong Soo bounced in like he did every day, a grin on his face. Before the bell rings, students of Hetalia High are supposed to wait in the cafeteria, unless they were gone one day and they need to collect work from a teacher.

Usually, Yong Soo waited with Sakura and Yao. But they both sent him unusually stern gazes, and he hung idly around a table. Who else did he hang out with? Well, didn't he hang out with Alfred sometimes...?

Yong Soo gravitated toward the American. How long had he been this shy? Alfred looked over his shoulder and saw the Korean. "Oh, hey, Yong Soo~!" he called, waving him closer.

Yong Soo gratefully went forward to be accepted. "Hi, da-ze!" he said happily.

"I've missed ya, buddy!" Alfred said, throwing an arm around his shoulders.

Suddenly, someone came running up. Yong Soo didn't recognize him. He told Alfred, "Coach wants to talk to you."

"'Kay," was Alfred's response. With a rushed, "Bye, Yong Soo!" he went off on his way.

Yong Soo was suddenly left standing there, surrounded by a number of people who were chatting cheerily. He felt very alone there, in the room full of people.

The bell rung. Yong Soo hurried off to class. He didn't remember much of the lesson. It had something to do with algebra, but he didn't pick up much more than that. He stuffed a worksheet in his backpack, not even bothering to remember how to solve the problems, much less do them.

The others in class were chatting about things. He listened to two girl's conversation: "Like, _oh. My. Gosh. _I totally _love_ that store~!" one girl squealed as her friend showed her her new boots from some designer store.

"Those originated in Korea, da-ze," Yong Soo threw in.

Both girls stared at him before bursting into giggles. "No they didn't. Look, see. _Made in America_," the second girl said showing him the label.

"I know that," he told her, affronted. "They _originated_ in Korea."

"No they didn't. Didn't, like, boots originate in, like, Italy, or something?"

"_No_. They originated in _Korea_," he insisted, folding his arms and pouting for emphasis.

"You're so stupid, Yong," one girl laughed.

"My name's Yong _Soo_. Both parts," he scowled.

The first girl was staring at his head. "What's wrong with your _hair_?!" she screeched, pointing at his curl.

"Like, _ew_, it has a _face!_"

Yong Soo tried to look up at it, but it bounced away. "Of _course_ it has a face, da-ze! That's my Korean spirit~!" he chirped.

"Oh my gosh, Yong Soo," they laughed. Then they turned away and continued their conversation as if he never interrupted.

Yong Soo, feeling rather rejected, turned back around in his seat.

The rest of the day passed in a flurry of voices and loneliness for the Korean. He was glad school was over. Glumly trudging the way home, he found himself to be very distracted. Why did everyone avoid him like that? Who could he be with so these feelings would stop?

_Well_, he thought sullenly,_ maybe if I wasn't so obnoxious around Sakura and Yao..._

That evening, Sakura hardly noticed how peaceful it was in her house. She was able, for the first time in weeks, to get her homework done without any distractions or interruptions.

That's how she knew something was wrong with Yong Soo.

After that first night he came home later than usual, Sakura watched him. She was worried about him; she didn't want him to go down the same path she did. But Sakura didn't want to confront him about it until she knew for a fact something was wrong, because that would mean she would have to tell her secret, and then he would blab it to Yao, and then Sakura would be facing lectures and counselors, and maybe even the suicide watch at the hospital, considering Yao's motherly instincts. Yong Soo could be, after all, just preoccupied with things, like, perhaps, friends, or a project.

So, for a few days, Sakura was watching her Korean brother very closely, particularly his arms. He wore long sleeves a lot, which didn't ease Sakura's mind at all. _What if it was my fault?_ she kept asking herself. _Is it because I'm so cold to him?_

And, what if her hunch was true? What would she do? She couldn't send him to Yao; then they'd both be in hot water. She didn't think she could counsel him alone; it just wasn't in Sakura's nature to show emotion, and highly dramatic events such as this made her feel uncomfortable.

After a few days, Sakura began to question her theory. Yong Soo was just so..._Yong Soo_. Happy, bouncy, obnoxious. She knew she could be completely wrong. And if she was going to pry into her brother's life, she wanted to be right; being wrong about this would make her look nosy and assumptive.

But something- _something_- was odd about Yong Soo. Sakura couldn't quite place her finger on it, and, frankly, this was starting to stress her out. She had to remember several times to draw flowers on her arms.

The door to the house opened, and Sakura looked up from her place on the couch. Yong Soo walked in, silently acknowledged her, and then walked away to his room.

Oh yes, something was definitely wrong.

Sakura got up and trailed after him for a while before speeding up to walk next to him. "Hello," she said, making him more aware of her.

"Hi, da-ze," he answered simply.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" He gave her a sidelong glance.

"I'm just asking," she told him lightly. "You know, you haven't been yourself lately."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Whatever." He continued walking, but his pace quickened slightly.

"Are you all right?"

Yong Soo stopped abruptly, and Sakura ran into his back. He rounded on her. "I don't think that's any of your business, da-ze."

Sakura was left speechless for a few seconds. "You're right," she admitted quietly, ducking her head. "I'm sorry."

He glared at her for a few more seconds, and then he turned around and stalked the rest of the way to his room.

Sakura didn't know what to do.

Yong Soo was finding walks to be very calming.

He was learning more and more each time he went outside; more than he did in class, that's for sure. The walks helped clear his brain.

But they were also filling them.

_What's wrong with me_? he constantly asked himself. _Why is everyone avoiding me?_

He found himself on a bench in front of a tree. Little white flowers littered the ground, and they decorated the tall plant. It was a cherry blossom tree. A sakura tree.

Sakura. His sister.

She tried to help him. She cared about him.

_And I freaking blew her off,_ he snapped at himself, running his fingers agitatedly through his hair. _Now she's going to hate me._ He slumped, staring at one small blossom on the ground. _Wow. I'm so stupid. Brushing off maybe the only person who'd care about me like she's nothing. _

Yong Soo got up and started climbing the tree. It was a good climbing tree; the branches were thick and close together, and the bark made little handholds. After a few minutes, he got high enough to see the entire park. He sat himself on the branch he was on, and simply sat there, pulling the white flowers off and dropping them to the ground.

He watched the way each one fell. Sometimes, they'd spiral down, doing somersaults in midair before landing gently on the ground. Other times, the blossom would face up, but it would spin down, its petals spinning like a helicopter. He watched the way the sun hit each one. He looked at the shadows. This was fascinating.

Yong Soo lost track of time. Usually, he's home before sunset, but the sun was dipping past the horizon right as the Korean started the walk home. It wasn't a very long walk; only a few blocks.

He pushed open the door. "You're late, aru!" Yao called from the kitchen.

"I was busy!" he retorted.

"Doing what?"

"What's it to you?"

"Aiyaa!" Yao exclaimed. "What's wrong with you lately?!"

"I don't know!" he answered.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked, wiping his hands on a rag and coming out of the kitchen.

"No," he responds quickly.

"Yes there is," Yao says firmly. "Spill it."

"...I'm fine."

"Liar."

"I'm not lying, da-ze!"

"Yeah, well, lying originated in Korea, aru," he says, attempting at making a joke.

"You have the completely wrong suffix!" Yong Soo snapped. "It's 'Da-ze,' not 'Aru'!"

"It was a joke, aru!" he answered. "Now tell me what's wrong!"

"You wouldn't care!" Yong Soo shouted. "You _never _care!"

Yao was stunned. "I—What makes you—Is that what you really think?!"

Yong Soo closed his mouth and looked away, glaring at the urn behind his brother.

"Yong Soo..." Yao said, looking at him pitifully. "Why on _earth_ wouldn't I care about you?"

"...Because I annoy you..." he answered sullenly, spitting out his words like a stubborn child.

"You're still my _brother_!" exclaimed Yao.

"_Adopted_ brother," he corrected.

"What does that have to do with anything?! You're still my brother!"

"Not by blood," he answered stubbornly.

"Would you shut up about that?!" Yao said angrily. He softened his voice. "I don't care we're adopted brothers. We're still family, and I still care about you."

"No matter what?" he asked, looking up to give Yao puppy-eyes.

"No matter what," he repeated.

Yong Soo grinned at him. "In that case..."

Yao recognized the look on his face. "Oh, no. No no no no no—"

But it was too late.

Yong Soo glomped him.

**TADA**

**OHMAIGOSHHHHHHH THIS TOOK FOREVER BECAUSE I HAD A WICKED BAD CASE OF FREAKING**_** WRITER'S BLOCK**_** I SWEAR I HATE WB SO MUCH ARGHH**

**Okay. Whilst writing this, (and it's really short, I know, I'm sorry) my awesome friend, QUINN FIBEROPTIC, gave me more ideas! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU**

**BLACKMAILING: with Taiwan (or Vietnam, I haven't really decided), and I'm pretty sure the bully will be either Netherlands or Turkey. Or an OC. I dunno. We'll see.**

**BYSTANDING- SEXUAL HARRASSMENT: I don't know. I'll decide later. But yay, topic!**

**RUMORS: you've been asking for this one! :D I'm thinking on either Switzerland or Latvia. Or maybe Spain. **

**PRESSURING INTO RELATIONSHIPS: Iccy and HK. And the bully will probably be, like, Denmark, or something. Dame desu, Mathias...**

**And if I can put this into words, FRENIMIES: with Greece and Turkey. They'll probably just be pranking each other. **

**Aaaaand that's pretty much it. **

**YAY MORE IDEAS MORE STORY YAY~! :D**

**Like I said, it's okay to say you love me because I TOTALLY LOVE YOU TOO :D **

**Let's see who loves me the most! *looks suggestiely towards the review box* :3 If ya know what I mean. ;) XD**


	13. Hopelessly fake-- or not?

**I'M PRETTY SURE THIS IS LATE AND I'M SO SORRY WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR ME TO FOCUS ON THESE THINGS ARGHHHH**

**Quinn Fiberoptic: I know. I COULDN'T THINK OF A DIFFERENT WAY TO END IT. I KNOW WRITERS BLOCK SUCKS SO BAD. Love love love amore l'amour ai te quiero love you too~! :D**

**Rose Thourn: Aw, I'm sorry you still felt alone. You have me, though~! (Run. As fast as you can) WHO SAID THAT I'm kidding. XD Any time you want to talk, I'm only a PM away~! I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN DO. IT'S NOT AS EASY AS IT LOOKS, CHOOSING BULLIES. BECAUSE I LOVE THEM ALL AND I JUST WANNA HUG THEM FOR MAKING THEM MEAN - OHEMFREAKINGGEE I FORGOT I CAN USE CUBA TOO okay, I'll stop. :3**

**AkitaNeruWolfLover: I know, me neither, that why I get the feeling I'm kinda fudging it a little, but I do notice the ginger thing a lot. My hair has a reddish tint, but nobody would mistake me for a strawberry blonde, let alone a ginger. XD HEART SYMBOL~! FEELING THE LOVE, HERE~! X3 3**

**Kawaii Waffle-chan DESU: Maybeeee. This chapter has Nordics, so they'll at least be mentioned. Like I've said, I'M NOT GOOD AT WRITING YAOI OR EVEN SHOUNEN-AI I'M SORRY. I'll try to mention them. Sorry again. =~= Yeah, treating people differently isn't right. Like, you'd never even know they're homosexual unless they told you, or if you saw them with another man or woman, so why does it make **_**that**_** much of a difference? YAY TUXEDO PARTY~! :D**

**missnoodlechan: Fankyew~ AND ALSO I LOVE YOUR USERNAME, IT'S LIKE, EVERYONE HAS A CUTE USERNAME AND MINE'S JUST A FANCY WAY OF SAYING "MEMORIES" OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT I DON'T EVEN-**

**EqualDemise731: Yeah. D'you think you can help me with that? Like, I know **_**nothing**_** about pranks. I suppose I could just google search prank ideas, but I wanna see if you have any cool ideas first. :3 **

**CelticGirl7: Hmmm...That was kinda last the hockey chapter, with the Pandora Heart kids ganging up on the Hetalia hockey team...AND I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE CHARACTERS I CAN USE IN A GANG WITHOUT IT LOOKING LIKE COMPLETE CRACK. DX**

**Waveripple of Team Sunrise: I guess stalking could be a form. Maybe, like, um, Netherlands stalks Belgium, or something like that? I dunno, you'll have to help me on that one. ^_^**

**it's pronounced 'lowlight': He is! Don't worry! He has China and Japan and the other Asians to make him happy when he's down~! :3 Yeah, I'm partial to Switzie on that chapter, when I choose to write it. Maybe I'll fem one of the Baltics, or something, for the bystanding on sexual harassment. **

**hetaliaforever123: NO FEAR~! :D **

**-Fanks~!**

**-I KNOW, RIGHT!? :D**

**Stitched-Song: I know...Too many people have told me something a lot like that. It makes me happy to know I helped them by writing this, but sad to know they've cut or self-harmed in the first place. It's not fun, and the more you do it, the worse you become until you start thinking seriously about suicide. I've been down that road, and I'm glad to say I've recovered. My Yami's died down to merely an easily-overlooked whisper in the back of my head, and I can't wait for the day more people tell me how happy they are. :)**

**- You can review every chapter, if you want. Spam reviews make my day. :3 Ehh. I shudder every time I **_**think**_** of rape. It must be terrible to go through. **

**- You're not a psycho for shopping at Hot Topic. It has a lot of cool stuff. I like their backpacks, but I'll never be able to afford one, and my parents agree it's too much to spend on a backpack, even if it is **_**adorable**_**. X3**

**Guest: I'm sorry! *gives cookie* (I wouldn't eat that, if I were you) WHO SAID THAT Anyway, yeah. I myself didn't know about the different types of bullying until I sat down and started thinking about it. I actually never meant for this to be more than a one-shot, but I'm glad I made this a chapter book! X3 Aw, thanks~! **

***Prussia* HEY WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE-**

***me* *slaps Prussia* BE QUIET THE NICE PERSON IS GIVING ME COMPLIMENTS DON'T SCARE AWAY MY REVIEWERS**

**Anon: Thanks for your input! I think I'll do Switzerland for that. It makes sense, 'cause he's got guns, and he's way over-protective of Lichtenstein, and thing like that. o3o**

**caset290: ASDFGHJKL OTANJOUBI OMADETOU! :D *showers you in confetti* I LOVE YOU TOO! X3 *glomps you***

**Okay, so, I has experience with this topic. There's this guy at my school, and his name's Dylan. (I'm not kidding. It's the name I use for the bullies in my stories. OH CRUEL IRONY) And my sister and her boyfriend are always teasing me about it, saying they **_**know**_** we're gonna get married someday. And they won't stop. I mean, I don't not like him; He's a nice guy, and he is kind of cute, but I don't know anything about him, and he's **_**way**_** out of my league(I'm still at the bottom of the social Caste system, if you get my Hinduism reference )(In Hinduism, we learned about something called the Caste system, and it's basically their social scale. ALL RIGHT I'M OVER-EXPLAINING THIS JUST BEAR WITH ME) But they're always making suggestive faces whenever Dylan and I are in the same room, and they're getting other people, like Dylan's older brother, to do it, too. Like, today, when the teacher wanted us to pick leaders for something we do called class task, Dylan, me, and another girl were leaders, and once you're a leader, you have to wait until everyone in the class is a leader at least once before you can be a leader again, and everyone knows that. But this one girl was all, "I vote Dylan and *my name*." while giving me a sidelong glance. **

**I even asked him if that was uncomfortable for him, too, and he nodded before I even finished the sentence. He probably has another girl he wants to date, anyway. And, I'm just really stubborn and mule-headed, so the more they tease me about it, the more sure I'm **_**not**_** getting together with him. If and when I get a boyfriend, I want him to date me because he wants to, not because other people won't leave him alone about it. **

**And this whole time, I've been here like, "OH MY GOSH. I'M A SHIP. PEOPLE SHIP ME. IT'S NOT EVEN CANON. XU" Yes, I've been thinking about shipping and things like that. And that makes me wonder about the countries, like, England and America going, "AHAHAH, **_**NO**_**," whenever someone says they ship USUK. XD**

**Oh oh oh, here's a reminder- Jia is HK, Kasem is Thailand, Lien is Vietnam, and Toto is Thai's fat elephant, whom I made a dog. I imagine him as a weimeraner doggie, but a really fat one. **

**I WROTE THAT PARAGRAPH ABOUT THE BED BEING A SEA WHILST UNDEr THE INFLUENCE OF SLEEP. IT'S NOT MY FAULT IT TURNED OUT TO BE A LITTLE CRACK-ISH. **

**IT'S CALLED A METAPHOR. THE BED'S A METAPHORICAL SEA, ALRIGHT? **

**I DON'T OWN PHANTOM OF THE OPERA OR HETALIA OR DVD'S SO THERE YOU CAN'T SUE ME NOW TAKE THAT**

**Okay, so when Kasem (Thailand) talks way down there, I'm not crazy. He has the verbal tic "Ana~", and, ja, that's official. Like I said last chapter, I've done my research. **

**All right, then. I'll shut up now.**

Pressuring into Relationships

Emil was _not_ amused.

He came home after the championship game alone, because Lukas was "abducted" by Mathias, and, when he walked in, he thought he was alone in the house.

Boy, was he wrong.

It turned out that Mathias had caught a ride with some friends who had their license, and took Lukas home. Mathias, being the troll he was, decided to lie in wait for Emil. He was hiding behind the door, so when Emil came in, he walked right past him. And before he could turn the lights on, Mathias grabbed him from behind. Emil thrashed, terrified, because, secretly, he had been watching too many horror movies, and all he could think of was _oh man oh man oh man he's gonna kill me it's a clown ugh I hate clowns why is it always a clown I'm going to die_ and similar thoughts.

But Emil slammed his elbow into Mathias' stomach upon recognition, his face glowing with embarrassment. He wouldn't have panicked so much if it wasn't so dark. Now Mathias was going to hold this over his head.

"You don't live here," he pointed out frostily as Mathias doubled over in pain, laughing his head off nonetheless. When he didn't get an answer, he sighed, kicked at Mathias, and stalked away.

"You might wanna take a shower!" the Dane called after him. "Jia might not like you anymore if you smell bad!"

"Screw you!" he shouted back.

"Language," Lukas chastised him as he passed.

"I didn't swear. Take it easy," Emil protested. The first thing he did was take a shower, not because he wanted to make an impression on his _friend_, Jia, (he wouldn't even see her again that night) but because that game had completely drained him of his energy. And he did, in fact, smell bad.

Emil shrugged pajamas on over his wet body, towel-drying his wet moonlight-spun hair. He patted his stuffed puffin affectionately before flopping face-first on his bed.

It felt good.

Emil was lost in the soft fabric of his comforter. It was a sea, a sea of an Icelandic flag. He was merely a boat, staring at the wrinkles that served as waves. And the sea, the blue, red, and white ocean, was the most dangerous, for Emil could not help but sink farther and farther into its depth. But the thing about this sea, by the time you first were in it, that was far too late. Once you lie down, you never want to get up. This ocean is the ocean of comfort, of stability, of peacefulness, of sleep.

_Sleep_, Emil agreed wholeheartedly. The sea was taking him. His violet eyes were closing, faster and faster until—

Light flashed in his eyes, and a siren screeched in his ears.

"Enh!" he grunted in surprise and irritation, slapping a hand over his phone to block the blinding light. He flipped it open and looked at the screen, which flashed _one new text message._

His heart skipped a beat when he realized it was from Jia.

The message read, _hey do u want 2 meet at the library again 2morow 2 study 4 that big WC test on monday?_

_Sure_, he texted back. He forgot all about the World Culture test on religion. Their teacher told them it would be hard.

_BTW, you did great 2nite!_

Emil's heart did another tap dance as he replied, _thx. Goodnite._

Jia didn't respond again that night. Emil found himself lying awake instead of slipping into the wake of the blanket-sea. He was thinking about her. She had short ivory hair in an A-cut style, meaning the front of her hair was longer than the back. Her eyes sparkled hazel. Granted, she did have rather thick eyebrows, but Emil could easily overlook those. She talked like that one Polish girl, Lixie: like a valley girl. Her prime fascination was fireworks. Anything that exploded made her happy. She didn't show much emotion, much like both Emil and Lukas, and Emil liked that.

He liked Jia. More than a friend.

But he was stubborn. Very, very stubborn. Because Mathias always teased him about it, he became more and more certain he was _not_ going to date her. But Emil hated that decision with a burning passion; he often found himself merely staring at her. At her hair, at her eyes...It made him giddy just to think about her.

Emil checked the clock on his phone, wincing as the light hits his eyes. It was midnight.

He couldn't wait to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Emil woke up the next day, the first thing he registered was someone breathing on him. On his face. His eyes snapped open in alarm, and big bright aquamarine eyes stared into his amethyst ones.

Emil reflexively slapped Mathias away from him, and he didn't regret it afterwards.

"Get out of my room," Emil ordered angrily, glad that his tongue lacked the slur that most people woke up with. "And _don't do that again._"

"Oh, come on," Mathias protested, rubbing the sore spot on his cheek, "I just came in here."

"So the first thing you do is bend over me while I sleep?!"

"Yeah, pretty much," grinned the Dane impishly. "I just wanted to see your expression. It was priceless, by the way."

"Well, I'm glad my face amuses you," snapped Emil, "now _go home._"

"Nope nope nope, Lukas's still asleep."

"Well, then, go annoy him." Emil chucked the closest object— his stuffed puffin—at Mathias' face with an impatient, "Go on. Scram."

Mathias pouted and left Emil's room. A few seconds later, a girly scream from him and a loud thud sounded from Lukas' room across the hall. Emil couldn't help but be smug; he deserved it.

Emil checked his phone to find one new message flashing across the screen. Again, his heart skipped a beat as he read Jia's name.

_Meet me at the library 1 30_

_K,_ Emil sent back. He looked at his clock; it was noon.

_Wow_, he thought, _I slept that late?_ With a shrug he just thought of it as a reward for playing so hard last night. He was hungry, too, so he got up and went downstairs for food. He opened the fridge and surveyed its contents; nothing really appealed to him. But he was hungry, so he popped two pieces of bread in the toaster, hopping up on the counter as he waited.

Mathias strolled into the kitchen, looking content and slightly mischievous. Lukas lurched after him, and he looked sour. "I don't know how you get up so freaking early..." he muttered in Mathias' general direction right before he shoved a spoonful of yogurt into his mouth.

"Anything to annoy you guys," he responded cheerily as he turned on the coffee maker as if he resided in the house. "And it's noon. It's not early at all."

"I like to sleep. So sue me."

"All right then!" Mathias fake-bellowed at him. "See you in court, bro!"

"Ugh. Shut up." Lukas shoveled in another bite. "How are you not completely worn-out after yesterday's match?!"

"I dunno," the Dane answered lightly. "I guess I'm just cooler than you."

"Yeah, sure, Mr. I-scream-like-a-little-girl-every-time-the-toaster-pops."

"...I see how it is." Mathias feigned hurt in his voice, putting a dramatic hand on his chest.

Emil glanced at the clock on the microwave above Mathias' sleep-tousled, spiky hair. It was twelve-ten. He still had time.

"Wa'cha lookin' at, little bro?" Mathias asked.

"The clock, if you must know," he answered, frost dripping into his voice.

"Attitude already?" The Dane chuckled. "And you haven't even been up for..." he glanced at the clock "twenty minutes."

"You irk me" was all else Emil had to say to him.

"Touchy..." Mathias hummed jovially. Emil peeked up at the clock again. Twelve- thirteen. "Got a date with Jia?" Mathias guessed after noticing the movement.

"It's not a date."

"Well, is it just you two?"

"And the rest of the people in the library."

"So it's a date!"

"No, it's not!"

"Yes it is!" He leaned against the counter and smirked at him. "You gotta tie the knot on your guy's relationship. Just tie the knot."

Emil glowered at him, but he held his tongue; Mathias would never change his mind about this. He smirked in an "I'm right and you know it" kind of way, and then he shrieked as the toaster spit out the bread.

Emil and Lukas both let out quickly-stifled snorts of laughter as Mathias tried to cover it up. "Lukas, at least _try_ to keep your ghostie friends from going through me!"

"You're afraid of the toaster," Lukas accused placidly, a hint of amusement dripping into his voice.

"Am not!" he denied defensively. "It startled me, s'all!"

Emil took the pieces of bread from the toaster and ate them dry, and then he retreated to the safety of his room. It was there he changed into a white T-shirt with a brown jacket and blue jeans.

_Hm..._he thought as he examined himself in the mirror, _I'm missing something..._ He paused to think, running an agitated hand through his white hair. "What do you think, Mr. Puffin?" he asked the stuffed animal on his bed.

"I think you're overreacting," the toy squawked at him, flying from its perch on top of the covers to land on his shoulder.

"Oh, well, what do you think Jia'll think?"

"I dunno about her, but I think you two should totally start seeing each other." Mr. Puffin lifted his foot and scratched his multicolored beak before adding as an afterthought in his abrasive voice, "You two make a pretty darn cute couple."

"Not you too," Emil groaned, furrowing his eyebrows at his childhood companion in anger. "You're supposed to be there for me!"

"I _am_ here for you, brah!" the bird protested. "I'm just saying, s'all!"

"Well, just stop saying anything!" Emil didn't know why he was always so hot-tempered with his best friend. He just was. He thought maybe that's how all best friends acted to each other.

"Chill out, bro, you're gonna pop one day." Mr. Puffin used his beak to straighten the little pink bow around his neck.

"Oh, shut up."

"I still think you should ask Jia out today," he continued.

"No," Emil answered at once.

"Well, why not?"

"You know why."

"'Cause you're afraid." It wasn't a question.

"Shut up." Emil flushed a beet red as he surveyed himself again in the mirror. He brushed a microscopic speck of dust off his jacket. "I don't even know why I'm talking to you," he added spitefully. "You're not real."

As soon as he admitted to himself that fact, Mr. Puffin had returned to his duty as an inanimate object. Emil sighed softly through his nose and picked up the toy. He stroked its orange and yellow beak and straightened the bow below its neck before replacing it on his pillow.

He glanced at the clock. One 'o clock.

He had to leave now to get there on time.

XXXXXXXXXXX

One hectic bike ride later, Emil stood in front of the Hetalia county library. He fiddled anxiously with the straps on his backpack. _We're just studying_, he told himself. _It's not a date._

Emil walked in through the double doors and plopped his belongings on the duo's normal table. And he waited. Several times he glanced at his phone to check the time. _One-twenty. One-twenty-five. One-thirty._ As one-thirty went farther and farther into the past, Emil grew more and more anxious. _Why isn't she here yet?!_ he asked himself at one-thirty-five.

Finally, at one-forty, Emil caught sight of her. She was wearing a long-sleeved maroon shirt and white skinny jeans. Her hair was slightly disheveled, and there was a weary edge to her voice. "Like, sorry I'm late," she apologized at once as she dropped ungracefully on a chair. "Yong Soo tried to light Lien's paddle on fire with one of the matches I use for fireworks."

"Oh," Emil answered flatly.

"So, yeah...Ready to get this study-thing going?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Like, what's wrong with you today?" Jia asked, sounding concerned behind her emotionless mask.

"Nothing," he answered at once. The fact that Emil still talked to his stuffed animals as if they were real wasn't Jia's problem, and she'd probably abandon him if she knew. And, on top of that, he could almost hear Mathias in his head, whispering obnoxiously, _Tie the knot, Emil. Just tie the knot._

"All right, then..." He was glad Jia backed away, and that was another thing on the already-pages-long list about things he liked about her: the fact that she didn't probe.

"So...Can you name five things about Hinduism?" Emil asked, checking over a list of characteristics about each of the five religions they were learning about (Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism).

"Uhm..." Jia tapped her pencil against her chin in thought. "Well...Oldest religion in the world..." She held up one finger. "...Worshipped many forms of one God, Brahman..." two fingers, "...Started in India..." three fingers, "...Their most religious landscape- geographical- thing is the Ganges River..." four fingers, "...And... Uhm... They, like, worship cows, or something." She held out five fingers, and then she retracted them into a fist.

"Very good," Emil responded. Jia quizzed him on the Islam religion. They went back and forth for a while, and then they reviewed vocabulary.

"So..." Jia started after they finished.

"So... " Emil echoed.

"See you later, then?"

"Yeah, sure." Emil stuffed his folder into his backpack, and then swung it off the table. He didn't notice that Jia's belongings were right there, and he accidentally knocked them to the ground. "Ah—Sorry," he mumbled automatically, stooping down to help pick up papers.

Their fingers touched as they both grabbed for the same paper.

Emil flushed crimson, and he noticed a blush spreading on Jia's face, too.

From behind a shelf of books, someone wolf-whistled.

Emil felt his face go hotter, and he stomped over to where Mathias and Lukas were. Lukas was drawing in his sketchbook, and Mathias was laughing his head off. Emil decked Mathias in the gut, and then stalked away.

"Does that, like, make you as uncomfortable as it does to me?" Jia asked.

Emil nodded. "He's obnoxious."

"Tie the knot!" Mathias called.

"Shut up!" he whisper-yelled back, wary of the fact that they were in a library.

"...Well...I should, like, go," Jia said. "Yong Soo's probably trying to eat the insides of my fireworks, or something stupid like that..."

"That's not good," Emil responded. He mentally cursed himself for such a stupid remark. "Bye, then."

"See you later."

Emil waited until Jia left the building before stomping over to where Mathias and Lukas hid. He knew none of that was Lukas' fault, so he rounded on Mathias. "I have half a mind to sic Berwald on you," he threatened.

"Calm _down_, Milly, it's a _joke!_" Mathias protested loudly, causing the people surrounding to shush them.

"Well, it's gone on for long enough!"

"Oh, no, this is just the beginning!" the Dane announced cheerfully before holding his sleeve over his mouth in a very Phantom-of-the-Opera-esque way and backing out of the nonfiction section into the children's. Lukas stood up with a dramatic sigh, patted Emil on the head, and, with a, "Just try not to kill him," he followed Mathias.

Emil stood seething for a few seconds before kicking his bookbag, tossing it over his shoulder, and stomping out of the building.

XXXXXXXXXXX

As soon as Jia walked into her house, she knew she was about to get a lecture from Yao. "Whatever blew up, it wasn't my fault," she told him automatically.

"That's not it!"

"Then what?"

"Are you dating that Emil boy, aru?!" he questioned rather shrilly.

"No," she responded flatly.

"Then why did Mathias tell me you are?!"

"Because he's an idiot."

"That's not very nice, aru!"

"Telling lies isn't nice, either."

Yao deflated from his motherly rage and pouted at her. "Touché, aru..." Jia started off to the safety of her room, but Yao followed. "You two would make a very cute couple, aru..." he added as an afterthought.

"But I bet you'd kill him if we were."

"Nuh-uh!" he protested. He was silent for a few seconds, and then he muttered under his breath, "Just maim him a little, aru..."

"Yao!" Jia said sharply.

"What, aru?! I said a _little_!"

"I'm totally _not_ dating Emil, and if I was, you can't touch him." Jia noticed the look on her brother's face. "And hitting him with your wok counts."

"Aw!" Yao complained.

"You and Emil-kun _would_ make a _kawaii_ couple," Sakura added quietly from her doorway. Both Yao and Jia jumped; Sakura could sneak up on you like a ninja.

"Whoa, you're dating Emil, da-ze?!" Yong-Soo yelped, coming out of Jia's room. Jia shot a glare at him, and he gave her a stick of dynamite that he hid up his sleeve.

"_No,_" she said firmly, "we're _just_ _friends_." She held her hand out palm-up in front of Yong Soo, and he guiltily handed her two more firecrackers.

"You are dating someone, ana?" Kasem called from his room. Lien and Mei also poked their heads out of their rooms to see what the commotion was all about.

"_No!_" Jia cried. "I'm _not_ dating Emil!"

"Aw, but you two look so cute together, ana~!"

"He's my _friend_," she responded firmly. "_Only_ my friend."

"Jia's got a _boyfriend, _da-ze!" Yong Soo cried jovially.

"I_ don't_, and stop taking fireworks from my room!"

Yong Soo pouted and handed Jia the rest of the firecrackers he had hidden in various places on his person.

"Just leave me alone, and, like, stop talking about it." And on that note, Jia stalked into her room and slammed the door on her family's faces.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

School was a nightmare for the both of them the next day.

From all sides, people were talking about how cute a couple Jia and Emil would make. Boys made kissy-faces at them, girls enthuastically surrounded the pair during lunch, and even the teachers were watching suspiciously for any signs of PDA. By last hour, both Emil and Jia were red-faced from anger and embarrassment.

"All right!" the World Culture teacher, Mr. Under, called to the class, clapping his hands, "who's ready for the religion test?" Silence went around the class of ninth-graders. Mr. Under laughed. "Well, tough paperclips, you're taking the test." Most of the class groaned. Mr. Under only started passing out the papers with the usual pre-test speal. "Everything off your desks except for a writing utensil. No talking, or you'll get a zero. Spread out so you're not even tempted to look at someone else's paper. When you're done, hand it in to me. Good luck."

Emil looked at his paper. He had no time to worry about the effect of Mathias' machinations. The first part was spread out on two pages. All that he had to do was put the name of the religion the question was talking about. For example, question one said, "The main religious book is the Koran," and Emil knew the answer was Islam. He scanned the rest of the page, and relief flowed through him when he realized he could answer all of these easily.

The second part was a vocabulary worksheet. Emil quickly filled in the correct answers for the first seven on that part, and then he stopped. He couldn't remember the word for "Commentaries of the Torah." He knew the Torah was the main religious book of Judaism, but he couldn't remember the exact word. _It starts with a T..._ he recalled suddenly. _Ta__—__...Ter__—__... Tal... Talm... Talmud!_ Relief flowed through him once again, and he penciled the word "Talmud" in the space provided. He was glad as he finished the rest of the test with ease.

_Don't get too cocky..._ he reminded himself before checking over his answers. He was positive they were all correct. _Huh...Mr. Under said it would be hard..._

Emil got up and handed his paper to the teacher. When he returned to his desk, he opened his book and read until the rest of the class was finished.

There was still time to spare at the end of the hour, so the class was told to correct the tests with a highlighter. "Number one is Islam," Mr. Under read off of the answer sheet. "Number two is Judaism. Number three is Islam..."

Finally, he was done. "Did anyone get them all right?"

Stunned, Emil raised his hand. A quick glance around the room showed one other person got a perfect score. He didn't understand why a few people were giggling, until he realized the other person was Jia. Emil flushed and lowered his hand, and Jia did too in his peripheral vision. Her face was also a violent crimson, but it was set in her usual emotionless expression.

The bell rung, and Emil wasted no time grabbing his backpack and marching out the door. He was going to _kill_ Mathias when he got home.

Jia intercepted him when he got outside, and she dragged him behind a bush. "Hey—!"

"Shh," she responded. Jia waited until a few people walked past, and then she sighed to Emil, "This is getting, like, way too out of hand."

"I know," he told her.

"I was thinking..." she trailed off, and then blushed deeper than before. "...Maybe we _should_ start, y'know, seeing each other."

Emil's brain couldn't form words. He wanted desperately to say yes, but he also wanted desperately to teach everyone a lesson. "Uh—"

"I mean, like, we could pretend to date, and then, like, dramatically break up a few weeks later," Jia clarified, blushing deeper still.

"O-oh. Right. Sure, yeah," Emil answered, his heart sinking and rising at the same time. He tried to not look so disappointed.

"So, like, tomorrow, you can, like, tell Mathias you asked me out and junk, 'kay?"

"Yeah, okay." He paused and added dumbly, "That should get him off our backs."

"Thanks, then," Jia said awkwardly.

"Bye."

"See you later, I suppose..."

Emil walked out from behind the bushes and grabbed his bike from the bike rack, and he pedaled the perfunctory route home in a daze. _I don't want it to be fake, though..._ he kept thinking, over and over, as if Jia could hear him. _I don't want it to be fake..._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, Emil," Mathias smirked as he wheeled his bike into the garage.

"Hi," he said simply.

"Did you tie the knot?"

"Yeah."

"..._Really_?"

"Yep."

"When?!" Mathias asked shrilly.

Emil took out his cell phone, tapped the tiny keyboard with his thumbs, and turned it around to show Mathias the message. _Jia, will you go out w/ me?_

"Send it, send it, send it!" Mathias howled, jumping up and down in delight.

Emil pressed the send button, and then showed him that he did.

"Ahah, at your guy's wedding, I'll be like, I told you so!" the Dane chirped, almost beside himself with smugness.

"Whatever." Emil walked inside, climbed the stairs up to his room, and flopped face-first onto his bed.

"What's up?" asked Mr. Puffin in his throaty voice.

"You're a figment of my imagination, aren't you? You should already know."

"Yeah, but just say it out loud. You'll feel better."

Emil sighed impatiently. "I don't want our relationship to be fake," he monotoned.

"Then for Pete's sake, _tell her_!" Mr. Puffin exclaimed as if this was the most obvious answer in the world.

"You don't think I haven't already thought of that?!" he snapped.

Mr. Puffin landed on his head. "You're right. Nothing I can tell you that you don't already know. I guess you're on your own, kid."

"Wait," ordered Emil, sitting up and glaring at the black, white, and orange ball of fabric, "you can't just abandon me! You can't even argue with me! You're my hallucination; you should be doing something to make me feel better!"

Two beady black plastic eyes gazed blankly up at him.

Emil grabbed the stuffed animal around the middle and threw it across the room with a heated, "_Fine!_ See if _I_ care!"

There was a knock on his closed door. "Emil?" Lukas asked. "Who are you talking to?"

"No one," he answered immediately.

"You were just shouting to yourself?"

"Yeah. I find it very therapeutic."

"...Hm."

"You should try it."

"All right, then..." Lukas backed out of the room and closed the door.

Emil was surprised at how easily his brother left. Usually, Lukas wouldn't leave him alone until he got what he was looking for. Like that one time he kept pestering Emil to call him "Brother Dear."

Emil found himself agitatedly pacing the length of his room. He felt his room was circumscribing him. He needed out before he went completely crazy.

But where could he go? Not to Jia's house; he had spent enough time with her family to know that he'd be pestered to no end, and/ or smacked on the head with a cooking utensil. He wanted nothing to do with Mathias, and he'd never be able to talk to Lukas alone. He didn't know if he could even talk to his brother about such a demonstrative topic.

What about Tino? Tino was affable and easy to talk to...

He made his mind. Going to Tino's was better than slowly driving himself insane.

Emil grabbed his cell phone from his bed and sent Tino this text: _Hey, can i come over and talk to you?_

A few minutes later, Tino replied, _Sure! :)_

_Thx_, he replied, and he left the house with a half-hearted, "I'm at Tino's."

The walk to Tino's house didn't take long, considering it was only across the street. Tino greeted him with a warm, "Hey!" and a smile. Emil shakily smiled back, despite his tendency to not show emotion.

"So what's up, buttercup?" Tino asked, leading him inside.

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well..." Emil trailed off, bracing himself for the ramble that was about to pour out of him. "You'll be hearing from Mathias soon. That I'm dating Jia", he started off slowly, measuring his words.

"He already told me," he answered lightly.

"Well..."

"Well, what?" Tino probed. Normally, Emil would storm away, but he needed to get the words out of his system.

He took a deep breath. "Well, that's just a plan to get everyone off our backs. And-...And I really wish it wasn't. I really _do_ like Jia."

Tino "Hmm..."-ed and thought for a minute. "You haven't told her this yet?" he assumed.

Emil shook his head.

"And you've already thought about telling her?"

He nodded.

"...I'd tell you to just tell her, but I do realize it's not as easy as it sounds..." Tino mused, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

"Yeah," he agreed.

"Maybe... Maybe Jia has the same feelings for you," he suggested.

Before he could stop it, an indignant "Why would she?!" slipped out of his mouth.

"Well, why not?"

Emil remained silent.

"...Do you want to hang at my house for a while?" Tino asked. "We could watch that movie that just came out on DVD."

Emil translated this into Tino's way of telling him to stop worrying about it so much, and he agreed with that. "Yeah, okay."

"Berwald's here," Tino told him. **(And you can take that however you want to)**

"That's okay."

"All right," the Finnish boy smiled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jia was nervous.

It was their first date. First _fake_ date. She had made that perfectly clear. They were going to the school's football game, and then the bowling alley after. It's what most of the people in Hetalia did for dates. There'd be a lot more people around to witness their facade.

Her heart did a tap dance when Emil met her at the stadium. Then again, her heart skipped a beat every time she even heard his name.

"Hi," Emil greeted her.

"Hi."

"You look nice," he noted.

Jia automatically looked down at her outfit: a maroon hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans. She wondered why this outfit was so special, but then she remembered she decided to put makeup on. For the first time in months. "Like, thanks."

With slightly jerky motions, Emil awkwardly grabbed her hand. Jia felt her face do a volcano impression, and she fought to keep her vacuous expression.

Jia didn't remember much of the game, only that Alfred Jones scored the winning touchdown. She knew it was Alfred, because Sakura was there. When he scored it, Sakura jumped up and emulated everyone else's cheers, and then she sat back down, blushing.

Time was going too fast for Jia. It seemed one minute she was sitting in her seat next to Emil (he was still holding her hand!) and the next, she was replacing her shoes with the rental ones at the bowling alley. "Here—Let me—" Emil stuttered, red in the face and still moving stiffly. He bent down and tied her shoes for her.

"Thanks," Jia said, still aware of how hard she was blushing.

Their alley was the one farthest to the back. Jia was glad; finally, some space. Away from everyone else. Just Emil, her boyfriend Emil—...Her _fake_ boyfriend Emil...

_He probably doesn't even like me,_ she thought sadly.

Their game passed in near-silence, only to be broken with a forced "Good job" or maybe a "Better luck next turn" from either of them. Jia didn't like it. Not one bit.

Finally, it was over. She sat awkwardly next to Emil. She liked everything about him— how he smelled, especially. It was a musty smell. She liked it.

"...You know..." Emil started quietly, "...We're not being much of a couple..."

"...That's, like, totally what I was just thinking about," she agreed.

"...Would it...um..." Emil was slowly but steadily flushing redder and redder still, "...make you uncomfortable if...um...if I...kissed you...?"

Jia felt her heart leap. She couldn't help a small smile from spreading on her lips. She shook her head, hoping she didn't look as eager as she felt.

He looked relieved. "...O-okay, then..."

Both Emil and Jia were ecstatic as their lips gently and hesitantly brushed against each other's.

"...Would it make you uncomfortable if I told you I enjoyed that...?" Emil asked after pulling back.

"Nuh-uh..." she responded. She rested her head on his shoulder. "Would it, like, make you uncomfortable if I said the same thing?"

She could hear the smile in his voice. "Absolutely not."

"Would it make you uncomfortable if I told you...I really don't want this to be fake?" Jia asked.

"I don't, either..." he responded.

"Okay, then."

"All right."

They both just sat there blushing and happy until Mathias yelled in exasperation from his alley next to theirs, "You—two— are—_hopeless!_"

_**ANOTHER**_** cheesy ending! What is this, like, thirteen for thirteen? wheneVER I CAN'T END THINGS ON CLIFFHANGERS THEY TURN OUT TO BE TOTAL FLUFFBALLS BECAUSE I jUST CAN'T END STORIES ARGHHHHH**

**Okay, I'm okay. **

**I'M SORRY KAWAII WAFFLE-CHAN DESU I TRIED TO INCLUDE SWEDEN AND FINLAND TOGETHER BUT I DIDN'T KNOW HOW I'M SORRYYYYYYY**

**Eheheh, I meant for this to be finished a lot earlier than I did... ^_^ Sorreh...**

**BUT AT LEAST IT'S HERE NO WAIT DON'T KILL ME PLEASE NO AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOO**


	14. Our Own Special Way

**DON"T KILL ME DON"T KILL ME I'M SORRY**

**EqualDemise731: Thanks! XD I know. I swear, I was going to make myself throw up from writing that, but I was like, "OOH IDEA" and I put Denmark in there. AWESOME SAUCE, SEND ME A PM WITH DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS. :D**

**AkitaNeruWolfLover: Shipping is like, relationSHIP. And Canon means normal. So, for example, when I say people ship me and Dylan and it's not canon, I mean they want us to have a relationship, but it's not normal. Or something like that. XD My hair is darkish-blonde with a little bit of red. You can only see the red if you squint really hard, though. XD It's a picture of England on an airplane. The artist (not me, and I dunno who) made it seem like someone was taking a picture of him while he was sleeping. He's wearing one of those neck pillow thingies. o3o It's adorable. **

**Springirth Dale: Thank you~! I like it when people say they like this story, but when they say they relate to it, I'm all, "OH HECK NO, WHO THE FREAK MADE THIS PERSON RELATE TO SUCH A TERRIBLE TOPIC I'MMA PUT THE SMACKDOWN ON 'EM" and other things. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm only a private message away. :)**

**Kitana Lunara: Thanks! :3 *joins you in the corner* **

**Kawaii Waffle-chan DESU: Me too! Again, i'mreallysorryicouldn'tputSveandFinnyinthereokayby e**

**missnoodlechan: Thanks~! I really do love HongIce. X3**

**caset290: I'm not beating myself up about it, promise, I'm just saying I can't seem to end a chapter without it being all fluffy and stuff. :3 AND I LOVE YOU TOO! :D**

**Waveripple of Team Sunrise: Hm...Maybe I can put that in for the Frenimies chapter? o3o Ahah...I don't really know...I mean, it's just like, every time there's a new chapter, Hayo, your name is in the AN. I really don't get it either, but I guess people like to see their pen names in ANs... THE WORLD WORKS IN SUCH STRANGE WAYS. **

**Quinn Fiberoptic: Thanks! I liked what I did with Mr. Puffin. I gave him and Iccy kind of a Calvin and Hobbes relationship. Like, it confuses you at first when you think it's just a toy, and then Iccy starts talking to him, and he starts talking back, and you just really connect with him, ya know? o3o**

**Guest: ASDFGHJKL THANK YOU SO MUCH I LOVE IT WHEN PEOPLE REVIEW IN ALL CAPS BECAUSE IT MEANS THEY'RE REALLY ENTHUASIASTIC ABOUT IT AND ENTHUASIAM MAKES ME HAPPY KTHXBAI**

**CelticGirl7: He sounds like a nice guy~! :D I was recently at a lock in at my church, and we were playing Honey If You Love Me. Do you know that game? Well, you have to say "Honey, if you love me, will you please, please smile?" while doing a bunch of weird things to make them laugh. Your victim has to say "Honey, I love you, but I just can't smile" without smiling or laughing. So, I was pretty good at not smiling until Dylan was like, "Okay, who knows the Dark Knight?" and my sister just threw me under the bus by saying "OOH *my name* LOVES that movie!" So, Dylan just like, stalked toward me and I was making a :7 face and he just went "**_**Why**_**… **_**So**_**…**_**Serious**_**?" in a SCARY GOOD JOKER IMPRESSION and I just cracked up. So, it was like, two in the morning, and I was getting loopy and having to be "It" more and more, so I just went up to Dylan and got up close to his face real seductive-like (Lots of people were being seductive to get people to laugh. This, however, didn't work with me) and no one was expecting this but I yelled, "BABY YOU LIGHT UP MY WORLD LIKE NOBODY ELSE! THE WAY THAT YOU FLIP YOUR HAIR GETS ME OVERWHELMED!" and I swear, I scared the crap out of the entire room because I did it so unexpectedly and loudly. XD **

**Charlotte and Rashka: Fankyew~! :3**

**OkayIknowtthisisreallylatean dI'msorrysopleasedon'tkillmeIloveyousomuch**

**BELLA IS BELGIUM so you know**

**Kay so I looked up the age to own a gun and I'm right eighteen for a rifle and twenty one for a hand gun im not that cray cray**

**I DON'T OWN LEGOS OR HETALIA OR BANDAIDS**

**RUMORS WITH SWITZERLAND BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'VE ALL WANTED THIS AND I'M LATE SO READ THIS AND BE HAPPY AND TRY NOT TO KILL ME**

Rumors

Vash Zwingli walked side-by-side with his sister Lilli. "So," he starts, "how was your day today?"

"It was great!" she chirped as she straightened the purple bow in her blonde hair. "I got a ninety-three percent on my World Culture test! I only missed a few, and now I know what to study!"

"That's great!" he responded, trying to be enthusiastic for her. It was hard to be happy sometimes. Everyone around him was just so…_stupid_.

The way he saw it, everyone who took part in drama was an idiot who was only wasting their time. Important things, however, like calling the ambulance when Natalya found Ivan passed out in a pool of his own blood was not drama. That was saving a life. Knowing that Alfred Jones and Sakura Honda had their first kiss only wasted space in his brain.

Now, he wasn't trying to smother her. If she wanted to have friends, then that was her choice. But when people started dragging her into drama, he would do his best to pull her out. It's stressful, being caught up with all of that; he would know. A long time ago, he was entangled in the lives of others before he decided that it was their problems and became neutral, like his country, Switzerland.

It was a fine country, Switzerland. Beautiful scenery, stable banks, delicious foods….He could go on and on about his beloved home country.

And then there was Lichtenstein, the little country next to his. Vash remembered being about seven years old, touring the minuscule country with his parents, and he remembered coming across a trembling, shaking little toddler. She was so weak and skinny, and he remembered how badly his heart ached for her. So, he had taken her little hand and coaxed her over to his parents, and he demanded they keep her. Ever since then, he had felt a strong desperation to keep her safe.

But he wasn't so sure how he could protect her after this year, with her being a freshman and him a senior. He was going to graduate, and she still had several years of high school left to go through. Without him.

How was he going to protect his precious little sister if he was too old to be with her? The question haunted him so much in the past year, as Lilli came home more often with piles of homework weighting her back. It bothered him when he moved into high school without her, but high school for her would be harder. What bothered him most about her high school life was how she came home after her gym class; the bruises on her arm from volleyball, the vivid pink and purple bow-bites from archery, and how he could tell her muscles were sore after they did a unit on eclipse ball.

And what was more, how she wouldn't complain about it at all. She presented the marks like they were a battle scar, something to be proud of. When they were doing archery, she showed him the bow-bite while saying happily, "I got a bull's-eye when this happened. Isn't that great?"

When she made friends with Natalya, Vash was uncertain: Natalya was just so violent, and he wasn't sure how she might take the offer. He was happy she was happy, but he didn't trust Natalya—or her brother. Come to think of it, Vash hardly trusted anyone.

He was just so worried about her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I'll walk you to your next class," Vash offered, hovering over Lilli as she shrugged her heavy backpack onto her tiny shoulders.

"No, it's fine," she responded, smiling up at him. "It's right there."

"You're sure?"

"Uh-huh!"

Vash frowned, but he waved as she walked off with a cheery, "See you later!" He turned around and started walking back to his class, one strap of his backpack hanging loose while the other carried all the weight. It was a terrible habit, to walk around with only one strap. It messed up your back. But something made Vash forget about that: a group of people huddled around each other, talking in whispers and shooting glances at him.

"What do you want?" he asked in offense when one girl pointed at him.

"Is it true you've killed a person?"

His eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. "No!" he protested. "Who told you that?"

"A little birdie," one girl responded lightly. The group laughed and walked away in the opposite direction.

_Idiots…,_ he thought as he trudged to class. The class in question happened to be Family and Consumer Sciences (which sometimes made him question his masculinity). _It's not weird I'm in this class, right?_ he asked himself as he tied an apron over his clothes in preparation to make cookies to donate to the orphanage down the street.

The FCS kitchen had four separate little working spaces, in which the small class of eight was to split into. To save time, the teacher, Mrs. Mason, had each work space make a different type of cookie. Vash and a mousy freshman girl named Caitlyn got "No-bake."

As he stirred a mixture of cocoa and milk and other substances on the stove, he couldn't help but notice how much people were staring at him. Vash gave Caitlyn a sidelong glance, as if asking her if she knew why. But she was determinedly avoiding his eyes, even as she had to remind him that he was about to burn it.

"Right," he muttered, lowering the temperature on the stove and stirring a bit harder. _I shouldn't be too worried about what she says,_ he reminded himself. _After all, her and her friends are crazy, right?_ At least, that was what the rumors said: that the posse of freshman secretly stalked certain people around the school for looking like characters from a supposed anime show.

Vash looked at her again. She didn't seem crazy. She seemed shy. Or maybe that was because none of her friends were in this class; most people were more rambunctious when around people they trusted.

"Time to clean up!" Mrs. Mason called to the class.

Vash put the saucepan in the sink and turned around to grab the dirty measuring cup he left on the counter when someone approached him. It was a tall girl with her bleached-blonde hair in a ponytail, and her bangs held back by a headband. She was wearing a sweatshirt and running shorts, which Vash found odd, considering the cooling temperatures. He didn't remember her name, but the girl cut straight to the chase. "Do you really have a gun with you?"

Vash furrowed his eyebrows at her. "Of course not; they're against the school rules, not to mention the law." He paused and looked at her suspiciously. "Who told you that, anyway?"

"Oh, Madison told me, who was told by Sheigh, who was told by Jesse, who was told by Ryan, who was told by Yvonne, who was told by Raine, who was told by Teddy, who was told by Fae. I dunno who told Fae, though." She seemed to be startled by the look on Vash's face, and she added, "Oh, Fae didn't start that. She doesn't start rumors."

"Hm," he grunts in response, picking up the measuring cup and going back to the sink. He saw that Caitlyn had already started washing the saucepan, even though he was going to do it. "Thanks," he told her, surprised.

She nodded in response, glancing up for a second before bringing her eyes back down, and she continued to wash the chocolate mess from the stainless steel utensil.

"You're in my sister's grade, right?" he asked suddenly.

"Yeah," she answered, setting down the sponge and towel-drying the saucepan. "She's really nice."

Vash wasn't particularly sure how to answer that, so he remained silent until the bell rang.

That happened to be the last class of the day, so he went straight to where Lilli's last class was. "Hello," he greeted her.

"Hi!" she answered warmly as she tried to stuff her overlarge binder in her backpack.

"Do you want help?" he asked.

"No, it's all right," she declined, walking forward while still trying to close her backpack.

They started towards the double doors when a flock of upperclassmen boys walked swiftly past, and one of them knocked into Lilli.

"Oh—"she said in surprise as the force knocked her things out of her backpack. Immediately, she knelt down and started picking up her things.

And the boy didn't even acknowledge her.

Angry, Vash grabbed the back of his shirt, stopping him. "And you're not even going to apologize?!"

"Hey—!"he yelped. "All right, fine! I'm sorry!"

"Vash," Lilli interjected, hurriedly stuffing her supplies into her backpack and yanking on the zipper, "it's all right, it was only an accident."

Vash let the guy go, and he and his friends walked away with double their original speed. "All right," he snorted, and he bended down to brush dirt off of Lilli's knees.

She giggled at that. "I can do that myself."

"Fine, then," he responded.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lilli was confused.

When she got to school the next day, a lot of people were staring at her and Vash, and they were whispering. Uncertainly, she smiled at them, but not many people smiled back. She looked up at Vash questioningly, but he muttered to her, "Don't worry about it."

The bell rang, and, despite her protests, he followed her to her first period class; English I. She sat down in her usual seat. Normally, she's sitting in between two girls—Kasie and Shelbi. But today, they sent her worried looks and sat down across the room.

A little bit offended, Lilli looked down. She didn't share this class with Natalya, and she was too shy to go up and ask why they were avoiding her.

"Can I sit here?" asked a voice. Lilli looked up and saw a girl named Bella smiling down at her. Bella might accidentally scare some younger children due to her cat-like smile, but she was really one of the friendliest people you would ever meet.

"Sure," Lilli responded with a small smile.

"I noticed you were sitting alone," Bella continued as she took a seat, and she smoothed a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. "Don't Kasie and Shelbi usually sit with you?"

"Yeah," she said back, giving an uncertain look at the two girls, whom were chatting to each other. "I don't know what I did wrong…."

"I think it could be that one rumor going around," Bella guessed.

"What rumor?"

"Well, a lot of people have been saying that if they get too close to you, your brother would hurt them…," Bella explained. "And nobody's told either one of you this?"

"No," Lilli said, shaking her head. "And Vash wouldn't do that! I mean, he cares about me, but he wouldn't hurt anyone! He's nothing but a big softie! L—like a marshmallow."

Bella laughed at the comparison. "Like a burnt marshmallow—hard on the outside, but mushy on the inside."

Lilli smiled. "Exactly."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Vash never really liked Alfred.

The American was always too loud, and rude, and he had a distinct lack of personal space. Not to mention the fact that he approached Vash right after football practice, so he smelled really bad.

"Hey, dude," Alfred greeted loudly—and in his _ear_—"you'll never guess what I just heard."

Vash sent him a dirty look. "I don't really care."

"But seriously!" Alfred whined.

"If it will make you leave me alone, go for it."

Alfred pouted at that. "That wasn't very nice. Oh well—" he perked back up again "—is it true that you'd kill someone to protect your little sister? 'Cause, seriously, that's really heroic and shiz."

"I—" Vash couldn't make words for a moment. "Only if the situation demanded it. And since that will most likely _never_ happen…."

"But that's so awesome, though!"

"…Huh." He couldn't think of anything else to say. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go now…."

But Alfred stood in his way. "You really do seem like the kind of guy who'd do that, though."

"Does it matter?"

"…I dunno."

"It doesn't to me," answered Vash harshly. "I have to go now," he insisted again.

Alfred pouted again and moved out of his way, and Vash went down the hall. All of a sudden, in the middle of the crowded hallway, he began to notice things. People kept staring at him, whispering amongst themselves. _I don't care what they think of me_, he reminded himself.

Or did he?

The rest of the day passed as a blur to Vash. He found himself in Family and Consumer Sciences class, idly scribbling on a piece of paper. Not words, nor a picture, just squiggles with his pen. Once he was aware of this, he stopped immediately. He was building a bad habit.

"Today," Mrs. Mason announced once the class had settled down, "we'll be doing communication skills work!" Most of the class let out silent groans as she continued with, "I'll need two volunteers." Mrs. Mason made a humming noise as her eyes perused the class. "Vash," she decided, and said student rolled his eyes as he stood up, "and Caitlyn."

Vash exchanged a nod with the freshman as they stood in front of the class. They were told to sit back-to-back on the floor. Vash was handed a clump of Legos in the shape of a hollow circle, and he was given the instructions to describe it exactly to Caitlyn, and she was to build the object precisely as defined with the Legos in front of her. Caitlyn wasn't allowed to look at the object.

Vash scratched his head as he turned the doughnut-shaped toy in his hand. "Well….The black one's on the top…. And then the red one to the left…."

"Which left, yours or mine?"

"I don't think it matters…." Vash gave the blocks another spin. "And on the other side of that is the yellow one…. And on the bottom is the blue one." He paused as Caitlyn assembled the pieces. "Got it?"

"Yeah, I think so. Is there anything else?"

"Yeah…." Vash spent at least three more minutes describing the pieces and how they intertwined, and when they were finished, they had two replicas of the same Lego rings.

"You see, Caitlyn could have never made an exact duplicate like that unless Vash described it perfectly," Mrs. Mason explained. "So, what if this is like our problems? You can't fix them unless you tell someone exactly what you're going through." She turned to the two. "You can sit down now."

Vash made his way back to his seat; his mind was racing. _I don't want to talk about it. It's nothing. I absolutely don't need help._

Then a different thought struck him. _I don't have anyone to tell, even if I wanted to._ The only person he trusted completely was Lilli, but if she ever knew her big brother was having issues….Well, he didn't know how she would take it. But he was sure he wouldn't like her reaction. And frankly, everyone else annoyed him.

He used to be good friends with Roderich, and Francis was right next door; people say he was a great person to talk to (despite the other things he has done). He couldn't think of anyone else who would really care.

_So, I guess I'll bear it in silence._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Throughout the entire day, Vash battled with himself. _I don't need help. It's not even a problem. It's just a bunch of idiots being…well, idiots. _He convinced himself that people talking behind his back wasn't anything to be worried about; this would all blow over soon enough.

But the more he thought that, the more irritated he became. He felt that he could hear every single false thing they were saying about him, and he found it harder and harder to keep his temper. When he got home, he was going to go take himself to the shooting range to relieve stress. He was eighteen, after all. He could do it himself with the rifle. (Sadly, he couldn't use any hand gun by himself until he was twenty-one.)

He met Lilli by her last class. "How was your day?" he asked, trying hard to not show her the growing stress inside him.

"Pretty good," she responded amiably, brushing her bangs out of her eyes with her hand. "Oh, look!" She rolled up her sleeve and presented _another_ purple and pink mark on her wrist, which Vash immediately recognized as a bow-bite, judging off the others she has gotten.

Vash angrily lashed out at a flower bush, and several bugs flew away in panic. His outburst only succeeded in giving him scratches on his ankle, because the bush he kicked was a thorn bush.

"Big brother?!" Lilli asked, hesitantly putting her tiny hand on his forearm. "Why did you—?"

"Can't you go one gym class without getting hurt?!" he snapped at her.

"It doesn't hurt that bad, though—!"

"Look, Lilli, Im' sick of seeing you like this! Can't you just stop getting hurt?!"

"B—but I—I'm not trying to—!" she stuttered, obviously alarmed.

Vash slapped a hand to his forehead and slowly rubbed his temples. He counted back from ten, and then permitted himself to respond. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "It's been an off-day for me. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."

Lilli took a second to compose herself, not used to sharp words from her beloved brother. "It's okay. Is it because of all the rumors going around?"

Vash nodded, kneeling down to gingerly roll up his pants leg. He was bleeding from several shallow cuts that the thorns scratched through his clothes.

"Oh, dear," Lilli said, bending over to see them better. She started rummaging through her backpack, and after a minute, she shook her head. "I thought I had a Bandaid or two in here, but apparently not…."

"U—um…" a voice muttered from behind them. "I have a few…."

Vash whirled around to find the freshman girl Caitlyn standing there with a few of said objects sticking out of her hand and an embarrassed look on her face.

"O—oh. Well, thank you," Lilli said politely as Caitlyn handed her the bandages. She carefully peeled off the adhesives and stuck them one by one over each cut. He didn't notice they were anti-bacterial, so he winced as the disinfectant stung him.

"Thanks," he muttered in her direction.

"It's okay," she said quietly. "B—by the way, I know you're not like the rumors say. Don't let them get to you. Eventually, they'll stop talking about you."

"I've heard rumors about you and your friends, too," Vash threw in suddenly, before she could leave like she looked like she was about to. "People say you're insane."

A slight smile spread across her face. "I know. I'm not, though. I don't know anyone who's completely insane. Although…" She paused and brushed hair behind her ear, "…aren't we all crazy in our own special way?"

**Deep stuff, brah. Think about that for a while. =w= **

**HI CAITLYN YOU KNOW WHO YOU AREEEEEE**

**Okay guys, I'm so cereal right now, ANYTIME I TAKE /THIS/ LONG TO UPDAATE, GIVE ME A VIRTUAL SLAP TO THE HEAD OR THROW VIRTUAL BRICKS AT ME I'M SERIOUS THIS WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE.**

**All right. If you know any good pranks, can you plz describe them to me? Next chapter will be Frenimies with Greece and Turkey, and they'll be pranking each other, and I'm nothing but a goody-two-shoes and I'm not knowledged in the arts of pranking so if you guys have any ideas let me know kthxbai**

…**again….*deep breath* I'MSORRYI'MSORRYI'MSORRYI'MSORRYI'MSORRY THIS CHAPTER ISN'T EVEN THAT LONG SO IT DOESN'T MAKE UP FOR LATENESS AND I WAS SUPER SUPER WRITERS BLOCKED FOR A LONG TIME AND I'M SO SORRY TAT **


	15. Pranks

**HI GUYS **

**EqualDemise731: I knowwwww.**

**Quinn Fiberoptic: Ahhhh! *is glomped* *and poked***

**Hetaliaforever123: Hmm. That sounds cool! :D **

**CelticGirl7: Oohhhh, that sounds awesome! Thanks! :D**

**Waveripple of Team Sunrise: The classic! :D**

**Any-clan: That's good! **** Maybe Vash just likes to kick flower bushes o3o**

**Blackrose: SPAM REVIEWS I LOVE YOU**

–**It's okay! **

**-Loopy loopy loopy loopy OOH, go type Loopy into google translate and click listen. It's funny! XD**

**- I knowwww. Now I'm not wearing socks! MY FEET ARE NAKED DON'T LOOK**

**- Fankyew~**

**- I based the Fangirls off my and my friends! :3**

**-I think they're actually friends, but Norge is too tsundere to act like it. It's just my headcanon o3o**

**- Ja, General Winter is a meanie-butt-face. =^= **

**-I HAVE A SIXTY FOUR PACK OF CRAYONS! :D**

**- Ahhh! *is hugged***

**-*is glomped***

**-I've noticed that people like fluff. Personally, it makes me feel like throwing up and squee-ing at the same time o3o**

**-ALL RIGHT HERE'S MORE and also I love you for spam reviewing spam reviews are the best**

**Caset290: my computer auto-capitolized your name. Sorry. =^= Ooh, I like your pranks. :D Especially the phone one! :D**

**Vanya: Isn't it awesome! (Death the Kid will kill us all) WHO SAID THAT sorry, I'm going through a Soul Eater- phase o3o; **

**Miwasaki Yuki rin: All right! I feel like a derp muffin because I don't really know how to respond to this. :B **

**Queen Umbugartis: I answered this by PM~! :D**

**Roxassoul: Thanks for your input, but that's verbal bullying, which I have already done. Also I love you for reviewing. :3**

**Sorry for lateness, I was really REALLY writer's blocked! D:**

**Okay guys, I looked up Turkey in the Hetalia Archives and he does indeed have a relationship with Italy so im noT CRAY CRAY PEOPLES**

**I DON'T OWN HETALIA OR THE AMAZING SPIDER MAN OR THE AVENGERS SO DON'T SUE ME**

**OKAY HERE IT GOES! :D**

Friend-enemies 

Hercules Karpusi and Sadik Adnan are the two people whose rivalry gets old fast. Every school has a duo like this; they were friends once, long ago, but something happened, something that caused a mutual hate, and now they take their frustrations out on pranks on the other. Often times, these pranks happen during classes, annoying the teachers and the kids who pay attention, but to the ones who don't, they find them to be just repetitive.

Such as right now—the classic bucket-of-water-over-a-door-trick.

It helped Hercules that Sadik was late from football practice. Once he was sure no one but his Turkish competitor would enter the room, he quietly put the water on the top of the slightly-opened door; in the confusion of the bell, this went by unnoticed. Hercules slipped into his seat and pretended to be sleeping, like he normally was, and he waited.

The door burst open. For a split second, there was a cry of "Sorry I'm—"which was quickly drowned out by a loud, girlish scream.

Every head turned around to see Sadik standing in the doorway, his forest-green parka clinging to his now-drenched body; his mask had also fallen off. He sputtered, glaring at the Greek through dark eyes. Then, he charged, throttling Hercules and shouting obscenities.

Of course, after quite a bit of yelling from their teacher's part, they were both given detention, which they both passed by glaring daggers at each other's heads. Sadik laughed when Hercules was given an extra detention for keeping a kitten in his backpack.

Throughout the punishment, little was said to the other, spare for a random "I hate you" from Sadik or a sleepy "…I'll…kill…you…" from Hercules.

And so ended yet another day in the lives of Hercules Karpusi and Sadik Adnan.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Despite their not-so-fond relationship with each other, the two had a mutual friend: Sakura Honda.

The Japanese girl walked next to Hercules on the way home from school that day. "You know, you really should stop fighting with Sadik. What happened to you two? You two were friends once, weren't you?"

"…Yeah, we were….A long time ago…," the Greek answered slowly, pulling the cat out of his backpack and placing it on his head, where the feline started to lick his hair.

Sakura gave him a sidelong glance, waiting patiently for his answer. However, it was soon apparent Hercules would not speak of when their friendship ended. She gave a sigh. "The least you could do is not disrupt the class. You got my backpack wet today."

"Sorry…."

The rest of the way home was walked in silence, only to be broken with the contented "Nyan~!"s from Hercules's cat. Soon enough, they arrived at Sakura's house. "Well, I guess I will see you la—"

Her words were cut off with a loud cry of "HI SAKURA DA-ZE~!" and a blur of white, black, and dark blue. Sakura toppled to the ground as she was glomped by Yong Soo.

Then another voice, "Yong Soo, don't crush her! She just got home, aru!"

And more still, "I'm so totally going to set your stuff on fire."

"Jia, that's bad! What have I told you about doing things like that?!"

"Sakura, you look squished, ana."

"That's because I am!" Sakura answered heatedly and breathlessly from the ground. The only one of Sakura's siblings that hadn't spoken was Lien; the pony-tailed Vietnamese girl hardly talked or showed emotion of any kind. Or, that was what Hercules had heard, at least.

_Sakura's family is so nice_, Hercules thought. _…And wild, too…,_ as he watched Jia chase Yong Soo around the yard with a lit firecracker, Yao chase them, yelling to stop, Mei snapping pictures, Kasem and Lien watching in amusement, and Sakura catching her breath.

An idea popped into Hercules's secretly evil mind. Once Yao had caught and scolded Jia and Yong Soo, he moved over to them. "Jia…," he said, "can I borrow some of your firecrackers?..."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sadik grumbled to himself as he paced his room later that night. "Stupid Hercules…._I_ shouldn't have gotten detention! It was all _that_ jerk's fault!"

He stopped and glanced out the window. The moonbeams hit his front yard, illuminating it. It was pretty, in Sadik's opinion. He plopped himself on a chair in front of the window, and he slouched, putting his elbows on the windowsill. With a sigh, he propped his mask up on his forehead.

Sadik wanted dearly to send Hercules a strongly-worded text message, but his parents had grounded him from his phone for getting yet another detention. They had warned him to not put another toe out of line, or else he'd be grounded for a month. Like, no—going—out—of—the—house—unless—it's—for—school—or—work—grounded.

Of course, he was trying to be good. He was going to ask his parents for some money so he could buy a car. Being a junior, he could drive now. But what good was a license if he didn't have a car? He was trying to go a month or two without getting into trouble to butter them up.

But of course, that stupid Hercules had it out for him. To be completely honest, Sadik couldn't remember what broke apart their friendship. Apparently, however, Hercules did.

There was suddenly a burst of bright lights outside Sadik's window. Due to his position, Sadik was right there when the firecrackers went off; it gave the illusion they were blowing up in his face. Like any person, he yelled. There was another bright flash—Sadik vaguely noticed it was like a camera flash, this time—and then there was a figure running across his yard, hood pulled over his head.

Sadik indignantly opened his window. "YOU CAME TO THE WRONG NEIGHBORHOOD, MOTHER HUGGER!"

The attacker didn't reply, and soon, he was gone. Grumbling curses under his breath, he offered a suggestion as to where exactly that dude could keep those firecrackers.

Sadik didn't need to know who exactly the guy was. He already knew. He tried to control his temper. _Remember the car. Car car car car car. _

He went on silently raging in his room for a few minutes, clenching the fabric of his covers. Why of all days was his parents gone? That was only Hercules would be in trouble, and then his parents would know he's _trying_ to behave himself.

The issue was settled when Sadik finally fell asleep, face-first into the pillow, snoring like a chainsaw.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hercules had today all planned out.

He got the pictures last night, and he printed out a few dozen. _This is going to be good_, he thought as he walked his normal route through the halls. It was ten minutes before school started; several students were already here, eating breakfast in the cafeteria. He walked through the halls with tape and the pictures, hanging them everywhere. He even put a few in the boy's bathroom.

The bell rung. Hercules walked to his first period class, sat down in his seat, and waited for the fun to begin.

Sadik stormed in, a crumpled-up picture in his hand. He grabbed the front of Hercules's T shirt and lifted him to his feet, waving the picture in his face. "_What's this_?!" he hissed.

"A picture," Hercules said simply.

"_Where did you get it?_!"

"I got lucky."

"You _exposed_ me!" the Turk growled. The picture Hercules got last night was Sadik's surprised face. It was a bizarre expression. The main reason behind his anger was most likely the fact that Hercules caught him without his trademarked mask on.

Feli Vargas came up behind them. "…You look good without your mask!" she protested.

A thought seemed to occur to Sadik. It was either that or the fact the teacher walked in. But either way, he released Hercules and stalked over to his seat. But the glare Hercules got from him said all the words he refused to: _you're going to get it very soon._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

This time, the prank was on Hercules. _It sure is a shame that jerk doesn't lock his gym locker before he goes into the gym~_ Sadik thought as he went over to the Greek's gym locker. Being the smaller class, they didn't really have to worry about weird things happening to their things. Hercules had even sprawled his belongings across the floor of the locker room.

Sadik found Hercules's cell phone in his jean pockets (the jeans themselves were tossed across the open locker door). With a slowly spreading grin, he carried out his mischievous deed.

"Oi! Sadik, you're tardy!" called the teacher, poking his head in the locker room.

Sadik dropped the phone on Hercules's discarded T-shirt. "I fell over," he lied immediately.

He was given a skeptical look, but Sadik ignored it as he went out into the gym.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hercules opened his phone after gym. _Why was it on my shirt? I could have sworn I left it in my pocket…._ With a slight shrug, he cast the thought from his mind. School was almost over, so why not send a text message or two to Feli? She's nice.

Sadik got a red face from compressing his laughter as he watched Hercules be confused.

"I don't get it…. Why are there Avenger character's names in my contacts….?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Message Sent:_ Hello. This is Hercules. I believe Sadik changed all my contacts. Who is this?_

Message Received_: Ah man thats awsum! Who m i?_

Message Sent_: You are Loki. _

Message Received:_ Thats so not cool! i'm Gilbert! _

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Message Received_: Oh, did he? Well, I'm Alice Kirkland. Who did he list me as?_

Message Sent:_ Pepper Pots._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Message Received:_ Please tell me im cap merica_

Message Sent:_ You're Hawkeye_

Message Received:_ WHY NOT I MEAN IM THE PERFECT CAPTAIN AMERICA I EVEN LOOK LIKE HIM_

Message Sent:_ Thanks for your help, Alfred. _

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Message Received_: Oh. This is Maddie Williams….Alfred's cousin…._

Message Sent_:…I knew who you were. Anyway, you were Captain America. _

Message Received_: But I'm Canadian!_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Message Received:_ This is Sakura Honda._

_Message Sent: Thank you, Sakura. By the way, you were the Black Widow. _

Message Received:_ Amusing__._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Message Received:_ Sadik is very troublesome, isn't he? Anyways, I'm Ludwig. Who did he list me as?_

Message Sent_: Nick Fury. Thank you. _

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Message Received:_ Lol thats funny. I'm feli vargas~ who did he put me as?_

Message Sent_: Thanks for your help, Feli. You were Agent Maria Hills. _

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Message Received:_ Don't freaking text me i dont even like you leave me alone greek jerk_

Message Sent:_ Thank you for your help, Lovina. How amusing you were listed as the Hulk. _

Message Received:_ WHAT THE FREAK WHERE ARE YOU DO YOU WANNA PIECE OF ME _

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Message Received:_ Lol, what did ya do to him? It's mathias, btw. Who am i? _

Message Sent_: You're Thor._

Message Received:_ YUSSSSSSS_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Finally, Hercules had fixed the contacts in his phone. _Stupid Sadik…,_ he thought angrily. Then an idea struck him, and he smiled lazily to himself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sadik rolled out of bed, swatting groggily at his alarm clock. He rubbed his face, trying to get the sleep away from his mind. He had football practice at this awful hour. The sun had just barely risen.

He pulled his mask over his face and his hoodie over his head. After shoveling a bowlful of cereal into his mouth, he got on his bicycle—_stupid Hercules, keeping me from getting my car—_and rode to the school.

There, he had to change into his football uniform. Still blinded by sleep, he stumbled onto the field and joined the rest of the team doing their drills.

"Late again, Sadik!" the coach growled.

"Yeah, yeah, I know…," he muttered as he passed him. There were snickers from the entire team. Sadik kept trying to turn around to see what was so funny, but soon the coach made everyone stop because they were all laughing so hard. "Adnan!" the coach growled. "What's that on your face?!"

"My mask, sir," he responded, thoroughly confused. "I wear it every day. What's wrong with it?"

"Take it off."

"But—"

"No buts! Take it off!"

Sadik frowned and thought of the car he wanted to buy, and he lifted the mask off his face. He immediately knew why everyone was acting the way they were.

His white mask was covered in pink paint and gold sparkles.

Sadik groaned, completely infuriated and embarrassed, and he slapped a hand to his face. Then he pulled back his hand. It was white.

There was white paint on the back of his mask. Which was now all over his face.

Hercules was across the field on the stands, videotaping the entire scene with his phone. Sadik stomped over to where he was, ignoring the coach's angry bellows. Instead of throttling the Greek like he normally did, Sadik stopped just short of the bleachers.

"You know what?!" he yelled.

"Yes?"

"What is _wrong_ with you?! Look, I don't even _know_ _why_ you hate me! But this was the last straw, all right?! I'm done." He backed away towards the rest of the team, who were gawking at the scene. "I'm done."

Then he stuck his hands in his pockets and stalked back to the locker rooms, muttering about washing the paint off his face.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I just feel like the biggest jerk alive," Hercules confessed in his drawling voice to Sakura at lunch. "I thought he knew it was nothing personal."

Sakura thought about that for a minute. "You were provoking him."

"He was provoking me…."

"Yes, well, he told me he was trying to behave himself so he could ask his parents for money for a car," Sakura said, resting her arms on the table.

"Why didn't he just say so in the first place?"

"You know how competitive he is. It must be a blow to his ego after just giving up like that." She rubbed her chin in thought. "Why did you two fight like that?"

Hercules blinked sluggishly several times. "I…don't really…remember….We fought because that's what we've been doing since we were kids. I've never really considered us to be enemies. More like… what's that word some Americans use? ...frenemies. Like, we were friends because we hated each other."

"…That doesn't really make sense, but I guess I see what you mean," she shrugged. "Maybe you could try being just friends with him."

"Maybe…."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"No."

Hercules took a step away from the other, surprised. He didn't even think about it; it was an automatic decline. "Why not?"

"Well, I hate your guts, for one thing," Sadik stated, furiously scribbling down answers to the chemistry homework. "And for another, do you really think you can just come up and ask to be my friend after all that?"

"I could have done worse," Hercules said slowly, as if this was a good reason to drop all previous charges.

"Yeah, I feel _so_ grateful." With that, the Turk positioned his body away from Hercules, continuing to do hiss work.

"…It's because you're too prideful, isn't it?" Hercules guessed.

"It is not!"

"I think it is."

"Well you're retarded!"

"You're only proving my point."

"Hnn," Sadik grunted. "Maybe it is, maybe it isn't."

"…How about we just start over. Here. I'll start." Hercules reached into his bag and pulled out a headband with orange kitty ears. "I am Mr. Nekojirou. How are you?"

"…You're crazy."

"Come on. Just pretend."

"I don't talk to strangers."

"I'm not a stranger; you've known me all your life."

"Yeah, and you're the strangest person I know."

"Fine then." He took off the headband. "I'm Hercules Karpusi. Do you want to be my friend?"

Sadik sighed, scratching the stubble that was growing on his chin. He thought about it for a long time, then broke, "Fine."

Hercules smiled. "Than—"

"This discussion does not leave this room, am I clear?!"

Hercules laughed. "Whatever you say, Mr. Nekoaka."

"I hate you."

"I hate you more."

**OKAY I KNOW YOU CAN BRICK ME NOW I AM REALLY NOT PROUD OF THIS CHAPTER AND ITS SUPER LATE BECAUSE I WAS FRICKING WRITERS BLOCKED FOR TWO WHOLE MONTHS I AM SO SORRY **

**Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry I am so very sorry HAVE I TOLD YOU I AM SORRY NO? WELL I AM VERY SORRY FOR BEING LATE**


	16. Outcast

**Y'know what, I don't even have an excuse. Just kill me quickly. :c**

**Quinn Fiberoptic: Thankkks. XD **

**CelticGirl7: Fankyew~ (I honestly thought it was a little bit lame, but I'm glad you like it~! ^_^)**

**Stitched-Song: Thanks! *Joins in with the smashing* RAWRRRRRR**

**Hetaliaforever123: Thanks. That chapter was more humor than anything, really. ^_^**

**Lady Shadow 77: I knowwwwww I hate it! (and then there's times where I just get lazy and don't update for three months like now) And thank you~ It's not often I get called heroic. ^_^ No, I haven't, but it sounds cool! I was thinking of becoming an author, but if I get wRITERS BLOCKED ALL THE DANG TIME **

**Rose Kagalimes: Thanks! I think I did something like this for chapter…nine, was it? The one with Russia and General Winter…? Thank ****you**** for the idea, though! **

**Nerdy Kyo-Chan: *Walks out of sight* *silence* *SQUEALING* *comes back* *red face* ^/W/^ Thanks~ also glad I could help!**

**Waveripple of Team Sunrise: Thank you for your moral support and sorry to disappoint for the late chapter! (and also sorry for derp reply)**

**Turtlebuddies: Yeah, I'm an introvert, too. 'Tis not very fun. Maybe extraverts hate being outgoing as much as I hate being sociophobic. :I A QUESTION I WILL NEVER ASK IN FEAR OF LOOKING STUPID. That's a great idea! I didn't think of that! As I write this response, I have no idea what chapter this is going to be, I just decided TWO AND A HALF MONTHS IS LONG ENOUGH WAIT. **

**EnharmonicAngel: I hate that I can't use italics in PMs. :I IS THE FF STAFF READING THIS IF SO CAN YOU LET US USE ITALICS AND BOLDS AND UNDERLINES IN PMS AND REVIEWS PLEASE?! That's okay, I know *Italics* nothing *end italics* about Mediterranean history. ^_^**

**Simplicity- Shitsuboku: ASDFGHJKL YOU SPAM REVIEWED I OFFICIALLY LOVE YOU **

**-I know, I didn't mean to make it! But half-way through, I just thought, "OH NO I SHIP IT" and then I started shipping CanLiet subconsciously o3o. True story, broseph. **

**-Thank you~**

**-I knowwww, I love Prussia, but he's a cotton-headed-ninny-muggins most of the time. ^_^ /shot/**

**-I do too…. :I**

**-I don't have many friends, but the ones I had to move away from were kinda like Denmark, but a lot more reserved. If that makes sense. ^_^ **

**-*hugs Russia***

**-Yeah, me too o3o**

**-Pssh. I live in a pretty small town, and I don't think there's any gay kids in my school. If there is, they're in the closet. I don't blame them, this town is mostly really religious. WHICH is not a bad thing, and neither is being gay. *Derp***

**-kesesesese~~ :L**

**The Frisky: I've never actually watched Naruto. So, I used my context clues and decided there is a character named Sakura, and then I looked it up and YES THERE IS SHE HAS PINK HAIR I think…. :I**

**-I know, I wouldn't if I lived there! I'd be her frieeend. =w=**

**Tomato Bun: Your review isn't that long, don't worry, and your English is fine! Don't you worry about a thing, sweetheart! ** ** I myself have only been bullied by myself and pressuring into relationships. My friend is bullied with rumors and himself, and sometimes verbally. I do my best to comfort him when I see him at youth group. I'd do it more, but he's still in the middle school and I'm in the high school, so I hardly see him. Anyway, thanks for reviewing! :3**

**I'mnodomino: You're welcome! (to be honest, I'm pretty sure lots of people who read this stumble on it. Maybe if I just UPDATED WITHIN A MONTH) I don't like to cry either, and for the same reason. But with me, it kind of sucks because when I want to cry, I can't. I don't really know why, but it's /really/ frustrating. (also I love sappyness so if you read this and you want to leave a sappy review again go right ahead because it makes me feel all gooey inside) **

**Okay so I know I've done something like this but I think I can do better BAI **

***casually leaves this here* *hides in a corner***

Social Alienation

"Peter, come back here!" Alice calls impatiently.

"Accck, Alice," Peter whines, ducking out of her reach. "I can do that myself."

"It's your first day at middle school," she reminds him. "You'll want to look smart."

"Normal kids don't have their hair pushed back!" he protests, mussing his bangs forward. He runs his fingers through the rest of his blond hair. "See? This is fine!"

"Oh, please. You're eleven, you don't know how to look proper," she scoffs, pulling him back and smoothing his hair back. Suddenly, she pushes his lunch box in his hands and gives him a shove towards the door. "There's the bus! Go on, now, go on!"

"All right, all right!" Peter cries, startled at his sister's intensity. "Sheesh." He runs out the door, backpack bouncing along uncomfortably.

It scared Peter a bit, moving from the elementary school to the middle school. He didn't know what to expect, really. Is it true that they had separate classes with different teachers? How would he make it to classes on time? How many students were in the sixth grade with him? Would he make friends easily?

Of course I'll make friends, Peter thought, a bit cross at himself at the silly thought. I mean, I still have friends from last year. And what's not to like about me?

He boarded the bus, beaming. His smile slipped slowly as he stared at the massive collection of students, ranging from sixth-graders like him, to seniors at the high school. The kids in his age seemed perfectly comfortable, chatting amongst themselves happily. He could hear them wondering about how life at school would be.

"C'mon, kid, sit down," growled the bus driver. He was a chunky man with thinning chestnut hair. He glared at Peter over aviator sunglasses with brown eyes. The man had ketchup stained on the front of his shirt.

Peter gaped at the man for a second before turning around and sitting in the first spot he found. It just so happened he plopped down next to one of the tallest people he had ever seen. The boy—obviously an upperclassman—had spiky dirty blond hair, a scar on the right side of his head, and the sharpest amber eyes he had ever seen. It wasn't like they were abnormal—he was just glaring at him. Peter swore he heard him growl.

"What're you staring at, kid?" he demanded in a gravelly voice.

"Nothing!" Peter squeaked, and he turned to face the back of the seat in front of him. After a second, he decided, I'm friends with Berwald! Berwald is scarier than this guy will ever be! And maybe he's nice…? Either way, the young boy regained his confidence. "Hi," he said cheerfully, "my name's Peter!"

The boy didn't answer. He only tightened the blue and white scarf around his neck a little tighter. The girl in front of him turned to scold him, "Anderson, he's trying to be nice!" Anderson didn't reply. The girl straightened the green bow in her hair and gave Peter a rather cat-like smile. "Just ignore him. I'm Bella. Very nice to meet you, Peter!"

"Thanks!" he replied, voice unfaltering. "It's nice to meet you too!"

"You're going into sixth grade, I presume?"

"Yeah," he said. And before he could stop it, the waterfall of words exploded out of his mouth. "I'm so nervous about it, you know? Like, I don't know what's gonna happen and will people like me? 'Cause I'm kinda new here and don't have many friends—well, I have lots of friends, but they all go to the other school—" He could feel Bella's interest in him going down, and Anderson let out a tiny scoff. Bella, at least, tried to be polite by giving a nod whenever he glanced up at her. He could tell she didn't care, though. "So—yeah."

"Well, I hope you'll find some more friends here!" Bella chirped. Then her friend, a tanned girl with her dark hair in pigtails, caught her attention again. Peter could tell that that was the end of their conversation.

However, he was not fazed by Bella's and Anderson's lack of interest in him. In his mind, there were plenty of others who would want to be his friend. Tino always reminded him—he was cheerful, and loyal, and energetic, and fun to be around. Surely someone would want to befriend him.

So, holding firmly to what his proclaimed Mama told him, he smiled at everyone who looked at him, introducing himself. A few people, mainly the ones around his age, introduced themselves as well, but the upperclassmen didn't seem to care.

His schedule told him his first hour class was English. He always questioned the name of that class; it should be Language Arts; he was pretty sure everyone who went here spoke English. If they didn't, there was a more-cultural school in the next town over.

Nonetheless, he sat down in the front seat, swinging his heavy book bag under his seat. Slowly, the class filled up with students his age. Peter studied their emotions; most of them seemed anxious. A few excited. A lot of them just looked bored.

The last person to shuffle in was a smallish boy with messy sand-colored hair. He wore an oversized maroon sweatshirt, carrying all of his materials in his arms. His eyes were big and blue and scared-looking. He shrank over to the only empty seat behind Peter.

Peter, who always found sociology fascinating, couldn't help but turn around and stare at the newcomer. He was trying to figure out why he was so scared. It was just school. Granted, it was a new school with new people and new schedules and other new things, but it was more exciting than frightening; at least, that's how Peter saw it. The boy, however, wasn't very comfortable with it, and he avoided looking at him at all; he just stared at the back wall.

First, second, third, and fourth periods passed with the same spiel given from different mouths: "Hello, my name is Mr./ Mrs. (insert last name). This is (insert class name) class. We learn (insert subject). Fill out this paper and give it to your parents to sign. It is due tomorrow. Don't even think about putting a toe out of line, or I will end you. Welcome to Hetalia Middle School, and I hope you have a great rest of the year." No matter what each teacher said, that was what they meant.

Throughout the day, Peter sat up straight and tried to make friends. He introduced himself more times than he could remember. He didn't memorize the new names and faces, but he'd get it sooner or later.

There was something that bugged him. It wasn't anyone else; it was him. The word waterfall, what Alice called it, spilled out of him whenever someone talked to him. It started with his name, then his background, then his personality, then his past, and so on and so forth. Most people had glazed eyes by the time he was halfway through his background.

But he wasn't scared. Someone, he knew, someone would find him interesting.

Then how did he find himself staring at the sea of students at lunchtime with nowhere to sit?

He walked up to a table full of fellow sixth-graders. They were talking about the science teacher, Mr. Philman, and how he droned on and on all hour. Peter opened his mouth to ask if he could sit, and then he saw the look in one girl's eyes: whether she knew it or not, this was the same disappointed look Alice gave him before scolding him.

Peter stopped and turned around with a hasty excuse of, "Oh, I think I left my thing at that one classroom…," and he walked away. Thoroughly embarrassed, he plopped down at an empty table. He wasn't sure why he was being so self-conscious; he just couldn't help it….

As Peter nibbled at the peanut-butter sandwich previously hid in his lunch box, he noticed the sandy-haired boy walking by himself silently. He seemed lost, too. Peter replenished his courage by repeating Tino's words, and he waved at the boy.

He stopped, looked around, and pointed at himself as if to as, Me? Peter nodded and made the come here motion. Timidly, he came to stand at the far end of the table. "…H—hi," he said.

"Hello!" Peter said enthusiastically. "I just saw you by yourself, and I'm by myself, too, so I wondered if you wanted to join me?"

"O—oh. S—sure," said the boy.

"I'm Peter, by the way."

"R—Raivis."

It was by far one of the most awkward mealtime conversations he had ever had, and he had to sit there and eat what Alice made some nights. "So…," Peter said after a while, holding out the syllable, "what's your next class?"

"I—I think it's—oh wait—hold on—" Raivis fumbled around in his pockets for a moment before pulling out the piece of paper telling him where to go. "S—science."

"Really? Me too!" Peter exclaimed. "Oh, hold on, with who?"

"G—'G.' H—Hassan, "Raivis stuttered.

"Oh. I've got 'C.' Machado." Peter frowned and looked at the name. "Ma-cha-do. Match-a-do? Match-eh-do? I can't quite pronounce it…." The bell rang, signaling everyone to go to class. "Well, I'll be off, then," Peter said. "See you later, Raivis."

"B—bye…." And Raivis went his own way to class.

Mr. Carlos Machado, a Cuban, as he stressed often, started off the class with the strangest greeting Peter had heard that day: "So. Basically, nothing you'll learn in this class matters unless you want to blow something up." So, most of the class sat in stunned silence, wondering what they'd do. He continued: "So that's the basics of what I'll be teaching you. Welcome to the first part of this class: Chemistry." He looked around the class. "You, quick—"He pointed at a slouching girl near the back. "What's the difference between a proton and an electron?"

She snapped her gum and stared at him with a deadpan expression. "I dunno."

"Go spit that out; it's a hazard," he scolded. "Anyone else?"

Peter raised his hand. "Electrons have a negative charge; protons have a positive."

"Good!" Mr. Machado praised. Then he pressed his thumb against Peter's forehead. Thoroughly confused, Peter felt the spot to realize Mr. Machado put a sticker on his head. After peeling it off, he saw it was a gold star.

Peter could help the feeling that he'd enjoy the year with the odd teacher. But his spirits came crashing down when he glanced back at the rest of the class; their expressions said it all: teacher's pet.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Peter, get up." Alice shook his shoulders. "You'll be late."

"I—don't—wanna." He buried his face under his pillow.

"I'll get Mum."

"She's already at work; I heard her leave."

His sister sighed and sat down on the mattress. "Why don't you want to go to school?"

"People don't like me."

"Oh, don't be silly," Alice chastised. "Of course people like you."

"You wouldn't know the feeling," Peter mumbled. He was too tired to invest in a conversation. "You, with all your friends."

"You don't know that."

"But I do," he protested. "Alfred, and Sakura, and Antonio, and Francis, and Gilbert—"

"They're not my friends." Alice's voice turned sharp. "They just like to tease me."

"So Alfred and Sakura—"

"No, not them," Alice sighed. "Just the last three."

"Well good for you." Peter pulled the blanket over his head. "I wanna sleep."

"So do I." Alice ripped the covers off him, snatching the pillow, too. "Now get up."

Peter groaned, but he rolled over. "Get outta my room." When she did, he dressed and braced himself for the day. The bus ride was particularly unpleasant; he had to sit alone, lest he get the judgmental glances and stares. And here they were, half-way through the year. Peter could feel them.

He didn't know when his hope for making a friend died. The closest thing he had to one was Raivis, whom he knew was uncomfortable every time they spoke. Maybe Mr. Machado, though, if you count teachers to be friends.

Peter wasn't blind to the things said behind his back. He knew what people thought of him. But it wasn't until after the first semester ended that he stopped acting happy all the time; it really only got tiring, and nobody noticed it, anyways.

But when someone talked to him, he perked up almost immediately. It only got his hopes way up again, but he couldn't help himself; he was just so lonely. Then, later on in the day, he'd overhear this conversation about how they talked to the outcast Peter Kirkland, and oh, wasn't he a piece of work. He was sick of it, ergo his reluctance to go to school.

Peter did his classes in a rut-like trance, not bothering to pay attention to his lectures. When they had to read a few chapters of a book in English, he stared at the words and flipped through the pages without reading its content. He ate lunch with Raivis, as usual, and none of them talked.

Then, after Science, Mr. Machado called, "Peter, you stay. I wanna talk to you for a minute."

An feeling of dread settled in his stomach, not at all like the dread he felt when going to school. But he did as he was told, stopping to hover by the teacher's desk while the rest of the class shuffled off to their next class. "I have Birkbeck next," Peter said. Birkbeck was one of the strictest teachers in the school. He was referring to the fact that he needed to be to her class on time, lest she mark him tardy.

"I'll give you a pass," Machado replied. "Peter, what happened to you? At the beginning of the year, I couldn't get you to shut up! Now, you don't answer any questions, and your grades are falling faster than a jackrabbit on a hot summer's day!"

"It's nothing, Sir, really," Peter answered quickly.

"You're sure? No... death in the family? Or something like that?"

"Nope."

Mr. Machado sighed and ran his beefy fingers through his black hair, a habit Peter noticed he did often. "All right, then. Off to class."

Peter nodded and left. He was on time for his next class.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Raivis sat in his seat, nervously tapping his pencil against his desk. It was passing period, and people were filing in the class, chatting happily. He couldn't help but overhear a conversation between two girls. "Oh my gosh, I just talked to Peter Kirkland; he got all red and blushing and stuttering."

"Remember him in the beginning of the year? Oh man, he was so annoying."

"Yeah, no one really likes him. It's kind of sad, actually."

The words left Raivis's mouth before he could stop them: "You shouldn't talk about people behind their backs. It's very nice, you know." Then he clapped a hand over his mouth and cursed internally. He just couldn't stop himself from speaking his mind.

Slowly, he turned around. The girls' faces were judgmental, one eyebrow cocked, squinted eyes, like they couldn't believe he just had the gall to speak to them. Raivis couldn't believe it, either.

But his conscious was eased: Peter stood in the doorway, shocked: someone just stood up for him. "You just-"

"I think I did," Raivis confessed.

"...Thank you." Peter's face broke into a small, grateful smile.

It was that moment when Peter realized he did have friends. Even if he was too shy to admit it, Raivis wanted to be his friend. It was a slight reason for happiness, but that was Peter Kirkland: able to look on the bright side. Things would change; he'd make sure of it.

**ALSO SOME OF THIS WAS CUT OFF FOR REASONS UNKNOWN I HOPE IT WORKS NOW I SWEAR, there IS a happy ending it jUST WAS cuT oFF I /HATE/ MY MOM'S COMPUTER AND THAT I BROKE MY SCREEN THIS WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED IF I DIDn'T BREAK MY FRIKING SCREEN oh yeah i explain it down vv there**

**i am very gomen for the wait**

**TODAY'S CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO QUINN FIBEROPTIC BECAUSE HER BIRTHDAY WAS YESTERDAY. I MEANT TO HAVE THIS DONE YESTERDAY BUT THIS vv HAPPENED and laziness also happened BUT IF THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN THiS WOULD BE UP LIKE YESTERDAY love you quinny **

**GUESS WHAT I DID GUIES**

**I BROKE MY FRIKIN COMPUTER SCREEN**

**IN MY DEFENSE I wasn't aiming for it, okay, I was aiming NEXT to it. I was tossing- LIGHTLY IT WAS A LIGHT TOSS- my phone onto my bed, okay, and it hit the bottom right corner of it. That doesn't sound so bad, and I didn't think it was at first, but then I saw that it turned the ENTIRE FRIKING SCREEN INTO A PUDDLE OF MULTICOLORED STATIC. **

**LUCKILY: it's only fifty dollars for a replacement screen, and my entire computer does not need replacing, it's just the screen. And I have half the money. I'm doing a lot of chores to get the money, but I should have a new screen soon. **

**but don't expect many new chapters**

**i'm sorry im really bad at updating this story i am so sorry. I just have trouble concntrating on it when my other story is funner to write. and i have the attention span of a flea's butt crack. **

**ANOTHER REASON I DON'T UPDATE OFTEN IS BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE IDEAS I NEED IDEAS**

**COME ON PEOPLE**

**SUBMIT YOUR IDEAS **

**please don't put in repeat chapters, if you want me to re-do a chapter, I'll try (after i get my screen fixed) but I don't want to use different characters for the same subject **

**I love you and all your support so much I can't even describe it and I am so undeserving of you love with the speed I update **

**If any of you ever need help or just want to talk or anything, my PM box is always open. **

**SPEAKING OF PM'S**

**IF I AM UPDATING TOO SLOW**

**FEEL **

**FREE**

**TO**

**YELL **

**AT **

**ME**

**I PROMISE I won't get offended if you yell at me to update. I NEED the motivation. **

**okay i'll stop i love you all bye**


	17. The Right Thing To Do

**Hah I don't even know most of you probs don't remember what you reviewed lol**

**AkitaNeruWolfLover: IDK I WISH SEA-KUN WAS REAL SO I CAN ALSO HUG HIM **

**EqualDemise371: yay no more outcast! Your outfit sounds cool though, I don't know why people would pick on you! Thank you! C: **

**I'mnodomino: yeahhh I can relate tooo**

**Chin-Mae or Cryers-Chan 3: I could probably be categorized as a teachers pet as well oopssss**

**MisstiqueRose: thaaaankkkssss (/w\) I do what I caannnn (when I get my lazy butt off tumblr and concentrate oooppsss)**

**Hetaliaforever123: I think you reviewed before I noticed that it cut off! I fixed the happy ending, promise! :O**

**Stitched-Song: yeah. Lots of people are like that. Really takes its toll, school does. **

**Angelgirl: I FIXED HAPPY ENDING HAPPY ENDING IS THERE NOW I PINKY PROMISE CROSS MY HEART but thaaaaankssss *whispers* **_**its Prussia Prussia throws them**_

**Those Fragile Paper Hearts: ITS ON MY LIST I DIDN'T HOWever think about using one of the Asians as a victim but that does also sound good thank you for your input c: **

**Quinn Fiberoptic: haaaayyyyy guuuurrrllllll oh whoops hah hah oh well they got what I meant**

**PurpleMousefurGomez: yeLL INTO MY ASKBOX I"LL HEAR YOU BETTER I know been there done that people have left me alone lately so that's good hbu ohmygosh you tell people about it wow that's like the biggest compliment ever thank you so much words do not describe I am unworthy **

**Waveripple of Team Sunrise: oh ok thank =w= nah its okay I have a few ideas I just need plot and characters now ill have to thINK UGH**

**PuertoRico0409: jfbkabgakglakjblgkjablkfjatuhgaurehnthankyouilovey ou mayyyybeeeee idkkkk**

**Tomatogirl: im trYING GOSH I CANT CONCENTRATE racisism is in my list yes yes as well as sexism and religious bullying and of course this chapter thank you for your review it means a lot it really does**

**Love-Peace-Anime: You're welcome. I know, it's like, sticks and stone may break my bones but words will never hurt me is complete and utter bullcrap its an awful thing to go through **

**ImaginationGoldfish: heyyyyyyy gurrllllll youre talking to me on pmmmm so you basically know everything woop woop**

**Marcy Charli Zara: ooohhhhh I liiiiike thaaaat. I'll just need a freaking plOT LINE AND CHARACTERS UGHHH I'M RUNNING OUT. Thankss, like I said in earlier chapters, this idea hit me after hearing about that movie called "Bully" which I still haven't seen but oh well that's where this idea came from and its gone further than I originally planned which is fine I guess but you all probably hate me for the once a year updates whoooppppsss (pssssttt yell into my askbox I'll hear you better guarenteee) **

**M: I'M DOING IT NOW **

**Jgirl911: (/w\\\) no stop I blushu But seriously, thanks, I've spent enough time thinking about a way to express that without sounding insensitive, because I know some Christians take things too far, like wow, divorce is as much of a sin as homosexuality, just as lying is basically as condemning as murder. :] thank you seriously from the heart of my bottom or however that goes**

**LISTEN UP NOOBS WE GON TALK FOR A SEC**

**I'd like to thank ImaginationGoldfish for **_**GOING INTO MY ASKBOX AND TELLING ME TO GET OFF MY LAZY BUTT AND START WRITING**_** seriously dudes like I wanna know you and talk to you but sometimes things like tumblr and life get in my way of writing and I just wanna make you all happy and change freaking lives dudes so please please please please please PLEASE don't be afraid to pm me because no matter what I am a lonely human being and all forms of communication are a godsend I swear there is no possible way you will be annoying I'm more afraid of annoying you all**

**Also if you guys wanna take a vote on this or something**

_**RACISM**_**: who do you want for characters India, China, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand? Please choose from one of them**

**And for bullies, please pick one character from Hetalia orrrr you can ask me to make an OC or something or if you really want to be helpful submit an oc for a bully**

_**SEXISM**_**: basically anyone I haven't picked on very much. And just so you know, a man can be a victim of sexism, too, its not just women. So, ideas for characters will be Hungary, Ukraine, Belarus, any of the characters I genderbent, any of the characters I DIDN'T genderbend etc etc…..**

**And also same thing for bullies that I asked for for racism**

_**BULLYING AGAINST RELIGION**_**: I was thinking someone like Germany or Austria or even Prussia or one of the BTT, bc they're kinda portrayed as religious. I think I could get a better plot line with someone from the BTT but if you guys want someone else, I can make do**

**And also same same for bullies**

**And that's what I got if you have ideas I have possible ideas for Teacher Bullying and other stuff that you guys asked for but those three are the ones I can kinda think of plot lines for :\ **

**Also also also Tony is based off ImaginationGoldfish's friend who died of a brain tumor. Since I don' know IG irl I didn't know tony obviously but she asked to put him in there as kind of a tribute thing and how could I refused. Since I didn't know him I'm making him act like the alien tony, so I hope that's okay…. **

**Guess whose been watching shingeki no kyojin mE IT WAS ME and I don't own it or anything we've been through this**

**Ok thank I will write nao**

Food Allergy Bullying

It was absolutely extraordinary how quickly Alfred F. Jones realized his near-fatal mistake, yet at the same time, how slow. With complete strangers and a girl he desperately did not want to embarrass himself in front of watching, he felt his lungs slowly swell up, his face heating as blood rushed towards it. He was floundering. He did not, could not hear Sakura ask him what was wrong, if he was okay. He could barely see her. He could barely breathe.

Alfred could hardly remember what happened when he woke up at the hospital. It was unnerving, waking up in a strange, clean room, surrounded by strange, complicated-looking objects and the distinct aroma of hospitals that could only mean something had gone horribly wrong. Without his glasses, he gazed up at the blurry ceiling and took several slow, deep breaths. With a start, he realized there was a tube under his nose, feeding him oxygen. What happened, that Alfred F. Jones, superstar quarterback on the Hetalia High Football Team, with his ox-like stamina, would end up in a hospital, so weak he needed to depend on a machine for something as simple and natural as _breathing_?

He remembered: he was on a date. With Sakura, obviously. They had gone to some restaurant, and Alfred had planned on taking her to that one store she liked that had all the anime and manga stuff she found interesting. After searching his tired mind, he remembered that they did not make it there. But why?

Alfred closed his eyes again, exhaling a long breath. He was too fatigued to think.

All of a sudden, it hit him. Beneath the tinny, metallic taste in his mouth, he tasted peanuts. He was allergic. It was that dessert; he had bought it for Sakura, and he wasn't planning on tasting it. He didn't realize it contained nuts. The memories came flooding in: the swelling, people staring at him like he grew another head. He had collapsed. He didn't bring his EpiPen. Someone else, thankfully, had theirs. With Sakura watching fretfully to the side, the woman who had the medicine injected it in his outer thigh. Then, there was a stretcher, and flashing lights, and panicked voices, and he was in an ambulance, and Sakura was there, holding his glasses and nervously waiting and watching and petting his hair while the paramedics helped him. Then he passed out. And here he was.

A door opened, light flooding in. Alfred propped himself up on his elbows, squinting at the newcomers. It was his parents and Sakura and someone wearing scrubs. His mom was tearful, embracing him and sobbing how he could've died. His dad just patted his shoulder and sighed, a relieved smile on his face. Sakura wasn't tearful, but she was obviously shaken. "How long was I out?" Alfred managed with a raspy voice, his throat sore.

"All night," the man wearing scrubs responds. "Hello, by the way. I'm Doctor Ross Springer. You took quite a reaction to a little bit of peanuts."

"Yeah, I got that part," Alfred mumbled, rubbing his sore eyes. It wasn't until his hand made contact with his face that he realized that it was incredibly itchy and puffy; it was like he was wearing a half-deflated mask. If he had to guess, he would imagine that his complexion would be unbelievably red and generally ugly. "Well, crap. That hurts."

"We'll probably have to keep you here overnight," Dr. Springer told him. "Keep an eye on you; make sure you can breathe right…."

"I can breathe fine," he protested indignantly, opposed to the idea of needing help to function. But as the words left his mouth, he started coughing. He sat up and flung his elbow in front of his face to keep from spraying the people in the room with his mouth germs. Sakura patted his back sympathetically, solemn and silent. _I'm so embarrassed,_ he thought. _She had to watch me have an episode like that. Ugh. Not really a great date idea._

After a while, Dr. Springer and his parents left. Sakura stayed, perched on the end of his cot. Neither of them talked for a while; Alfred was too humiliated and tired to think of a good conversation, and Sakura seemed uncomfortable. But over the span of a few minutes, she moved to lie beside him, her arms curled loosely around his neck. Alfred embraced her back, burying his stinging face into her bony shoulder.

"I almost died because of an ice cream sundae," he realized, and he started laughing. "That's gotta be the lamest way to go!"

"At least you would have died happy," Sakura teased lightly, and they both spent a few minutes laughing uncontrollably. She sobered after a minute or so. "You almost died, though. We had to call an ambulance and everything."

Alfred didn't answer. He didn't know what to say. "Well, I didn't. It was just a good thing that lady had her Epipen."

"You don't carry one around, and you're _that_ allergic?" Sakura questioned suddenly, sitting up on her knees.

"I didn't know I'm that allergic!" he exclaimed. "I mean, I knew I was allergic, but I couldn't breathe after ten seconds and my face swelled up and—ugh….I just didn't know I was _that_ allergic."

"…Now you'll need to carry one around," she said simply. "Maybe even wear one of those allergy warning bracelets."

Alfred whined. "Those are for _girls_," he griped, holding out the last syllable like a child.

"If it'll keep you from dying, you'll have to wear one," Sakura answered, not amused. She sighed and lay back down on her side, one arm draped over his chest. "I don't want you to die."

Alfred gently kissed the top of her head. "How have you been doing lately?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Fine," she answered plainly.

"How long has it been since the last one?"

"Three weeks," she answered. Alfred realized he couldn't tell if she was being truthful or not, and the thought scared him.

"I don't want you to die, either."

Sakura didn't answer. She only buried her face into the gaudy hospital gown over his bare chest and sniffed. "I won't if you won't," she said at last, her soft voice muffled slightly.

"Deal." They lay there hugging for a few minutes before Alfred really got to wondering: who took his clothes off?

Sakura had to leave soon after that because of school; technically, it had already started, but her parents had let her miss her first hour to visit him. After she left, Alfred went back to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

When Sakura got to school, she was greeted by Feli and Ludwig, who had saved her normal spot next to them in class. Feli insisted on passing notes to her. _Where were you? Did you oversleep?_

_No, _she wrote back in neat handwriting. _I was at the hospital visiting Alfred._

_I heard about him!_ Feli wrote sloppily. _Is he ok? What happened?_

_He had an allergic reaction,_ Sakura printed.

Ludwig reached over and took the paper. A minute later, he passed it back with a hard look at the both of them. _You two should be paying attention. This will be a good thing to know after high school._

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

By lunchtime, there was a swarm of people Sakura didn't usually talk to surrounding her. Like, the football team, Alfred's other friends, et cetera. They all wanted to know about him. "He's fine," she said repeatedly. "He had an allergic reaction; he's going to be okay."

"When will he be able to play again?" Sadik Adnan wondered.

"I don't know," she answered. "It probably won't be too long.

"It's so horrible," a girl Sakura didn't know told her. "I'm allergic, too, but not nearly as bad."

After a while, the crowd cleared. Sakura plopped down at her table next to Feli. She had a handful of get-well cards several people begged her to give to him. Normally, she didn't care that Alfred was popular, but this was getting annoying.

"I hope this doesn't turn into a Ferris Bueller thing," Maddie Williams joked from across the table. "Although, I'm not sure he'd mind that. He loves the attention."

Sakura remembered when Alfred made her watch "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." The character, Ferris Bueller, pretended to be sick to get a day off from school, and the people at his school made an entire "Save Ferris Bueller" fundraiser that spread across the entire city. Sakura knew for a fact Alfred wasn't faking, but she wouldn't be surprised if the students tried to do something like that. "I hope not. All the attention would go straight to his head."

"It would get bigger than normal, eh, Honda?" a passing football player joked. "How big did his face get when it happened? You were there, weren't you?"

"That's a rather insensitive question, don't you think?" Sakura asked coldly.

"Dude, it's just a joke." The athlete raised his hands in a surrender gesture. "Jones can take that level of snark." Then he walked off.

"It's still not nice," she huffed after he left.

Feli patted her hand sympathetically. "He's just a meanie; don't worry about him."

"Yeah, you're right." Sakura started eating her lunch.

XXXXXXXXX

By the time school was over, Sakura had collected around twenty or thirty get-well notes along with homework assignments for Alfred. She got a ride with Maddie to the hospital. They both went to Alfred's room. He was awake, flipping through television channels with a bored expression on his face. It looked less red and puffy than before, but red and puffy nonetheless.

"Hey!" he greeted them, smiling and sitting up. "Dudes, I'm _so_ bored."

"Good," Sakura answered. "I have your homework."

Alfred quickly changed his mind. "No, not bored. Forget I said anything. I'm completely occupied and can't be bothered with anything else."

Maddie giggled. "You look awful."

"You do too, cuz. What are _you_ allergic to?" Alfred quipped playfully back. "Oh, wait, that's just your face."

Maddie lightly punched him on the arm, laughing nonetheless.

Sakura reached into her backpack and brought out the hoard of cards. Alfred's eyes lit up. "Are those for me?" he asked excitedly.

"Yup," Maddie and Sakura answered at the same time. Alfred read some of them out loud and laughed. Most of them were from girls desperate for him even though the whole school knew he was taken. To say it didn't bother Sakura would be a false statement. She trusted him, of course; she just couldn't be sure other girls wouldn't, say, grab him and kiss him, or something weird and obsessive like that.

"I wonder if I can get away with not doing my homework," Alfred pondered out loud. "Say I had an allergic reaction to it." And then he dramatically exclaimed, "Ah! No! Homework! Can't—breathe—Dying—!

"It's a piece of paper!" Sakura laughed.

"Exactly! Paper is my arch nemesis!" He shoved all the cards off the bed and flailed. "My hands are burning! Ahhhh!"

"Stop that!" she scolded, giggling nonetheless. "The nurse is going to think something's wrong!"

He stopped wriggling and played dead, sticking his tongue out for special effect. Then he sat up. The three talked for a bit, and then Maddie left. Sakura stayed to help him with his homework.

"Seriously? _That's_ the answer?" Alfred asked.

"I think so," she responded, checking her work again. "Yeah. I think it is."

"You're so smart," he complimented. "Thanks for putting up with me, Sakura."

"No problem," she answered, smiling.

She had to leave soon after; visiting hours was ending.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Alfred was able to go to school the next day. People seemed genuinely happy to see him back, and he was happy about that; he liked being liked. The day passed quickly. During his last hour, geometry, he wondered why that was; he still had to be there seven hours each day. How come it felt quicker than some days?

He went straight to football practice after school. Almost immediately after changing into his uniform and stepping out of the locker room, the coach stopped him. "Jones, sit today out."

"Aw!" he whined. "Why?!"

"I could hear you breathing from across the field!" he retorted. Alfred reluctantly accepted this and sat down on the bench instead. The backup quarterback, a generally emotionless sophomore named Tony. He has hair dyed silvery gray, and he wears contacts that make his pupils vertical as opposed to circular. As far as Alfred knew, he didn't have many friends, but he enjoyed his company. Tony wasn't a bad quarterback, either.

Alfred sulked on the bench for the entirety of practice. Several players gave him sympathetic looks as they performed. When the time was over, he followed balefully as his teammates back into the locker room, and he changed back into his normal clothes.

"So, dude," interrupted the lineback, a burly senior named Jeremy, "why'd you go to the ER?"

"Oh. Ate some nuts," he answered a bit sheepishly. The locker room burst into laughter. "Grow up! I have a girlfriend!"he exclaimed, laughing nonetheless.

"That sucks," piped up the wide receiver, Henry. "How big did your face get?"

"Pretty darn big," Alfred replied with a good-natured chuckle. "It was kinda like plastic surgery gone wrong. Still kinda is."

"So you were uglier than you already are?" Sadik Adnan yelled from across the room. There was an outburst of laughter.

"I'm still better-looking than you!" The football players all let out a loud, "Oh, burn!" in almost complete synchrony.

The conversation died after that. Then, someone called, "Hey, Jones! Catch!" Alfred turned around something hit him in the face. He looked down and proceeded to jump backwards and fall over. The player had thrown a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup at him. The rest of the room started laughing again.

Alfred stood up indignantly. "That's not funny," he said firmly.

"Yes it was!" exclaimed the player that threw it, the half-back named Kevin. "Did you see your face?!"

Tony walked over to Alfred and picked up the candy, and he threw it back. "That's not funny," he repeated. He didn't make much of an impact, considering his social status, appearance, and the fact that he was around five feet tall.

"Thanks, anyway, dude," Alfred mumbled to Tony.

"Whatever," he replied, going back to his own locker.

"Hey, dude," asked Jeremy, "what's that?" He pointed towards Alfred's wrist.

Alfred felt his stomach drop—this was one thing he wished no one would notice. "It's—uh, it's my bracelet. Tells people I'm allergic to nuts."

"You have to wear a _bracelet?!"_ he exclaimed, laughing.

"It's not that funny!" he protested. "Dudes wear bracelets all the time! Like—like gangsters! They wear lots of bracelets and necklaces and earrings—why is mine any different?!"

"Gangsters don't wear _bracelets_," Sadik yelled.

"You would know?" Alfred retorted. "Well—where's your official gangster acceptance certificate? I'll tell you where—it's not real! I made it up just now!" He was blushing now, covering the bracelet with his other hand.

"You're being awful defensive!" piped in a freshman whose name Alfred didn't know.

"'Cause you guys are making fun of me for it!"

"Jones—what's that?" asked the linebacker named David whose locker was right next to Alfred's. He was pointing at the small white container partially hidden under a pile of dirty clothes.

"That's—nothing!" he answered rapid-fire, shoving it back under the clothes.

David jumped for it and fished it out of his locker before Alfred could stop him. "Is this a _purse?_"

The locker room burst into laughter again. "No!" he denied. "That's just where I keep my EpiPen! It's not a purse!" But it was too late—his dignity lay in pieces on the floor.

"Dude, I understand the EpiPen, but _seriously_, can't you keep it in something less—I dunno—_girly?_"

"It's not _girly_!" he shouted, embarrassed and angry. "Gimme that!" He snatched the handbag away from David. "Quit laughing or I will personally stab each and every one of you with my EpiPen!"

"It won't affect us if we're not allergic to peanuts!" Kevin yelled.

"Yes, it will! For you, it's like drugs! I'll stab you with this and then call the cops and have you arrested!" He was just making things up now, trying to be funny to make them stop.

"Yeah, right!"

Alfred sighed, stuffed everything into a duffel bag, and promptly stomped out of the locker room, walking home. Halfway there, he realized he wasn't actually on his way to his house, but to Sakura's. Figuring it wasn't too late and her family probably wouldn't mind, he stayed en route. When he got there, he knocked to be polite, and the door was immediately opened by Yong Soo. The hyperactive Korean grabbed Alfred by his shoulders.

"There's a firecracker in my underwear and Jia lit it so I can't get it out, my favorite character on my TV show died, and Yao won't make me kimchi!" he yelled. This was a normal greeting from Yong Soo.

Jia appeared in the hallway behind him, holding another lit firecracker. "I thought we made it clear you would stay out of my room."

Yong Soo let out a girlish scream, shoved past Alfred and took off down the street. He noticed there actually was a lit fuse sticking out of the back of his pants. Halfway down the cul-de-sac, there was a flash of light and a thunder-like sound, and Yong Soo screamed again and fell to the ground. A few minutes later, he started slowly crawling back towards the house.

"Sakura's in the living room," Jia told him. Alfred nodded in thanks and went in.

Yao was in the kitchen cooking. "Hey, Alfred!" he yelled, waving.

"Hey, dude!"

"Hey, I think you still owe me that twenty dollar—" he started. Alfred cut him off.

"Sorry, buddy, my bad! I'll get it to you soon!" And with that, he walked off towards where Jia told him Sakura would be. She was lying on the couch, reading a manga.

"Hey," he greeted her.

She looked up. "Oh. Hi." She sat up and patted the spot next to her. Alfred sat down, depositing his duffel bag next to him. "You didn't practice today," she noted.

"How did you—"

"You don't smell that bad," she clarified. "After you practice, you stink."

"Well, what if I took a shower at the school?" he countered.

"You wouldn't do that because you're insecure about your body. And besides; your hair isn't wet."

"Once again, you read me like a book," he sighed, dropping his head onto her shoulder. "Whatcha reading?"

"Shingeki no Kyojin," she answered. "It just got turned into an anime this year. I wanted to read it again before I watched it."

Alfred squinted at the pictured with captions written in the loopy characters he couldn't read. Sometimes he forgot that Sakura was bilingual. "What's it about?"

"The last of humankind is fighting for its life against creatures called Titans that eat people."

"Oh. That sounds cool." Alfred let her finish the chapter, and then they started talking.

"So you seem kinda upset," she pointed out.

"It's just the guys; it's nothing big," he dismissed. "They were joking around about this thing." He held up his arm and showed her the allergy warning bracelet. "Said it was girly."

"Don't listen to them; lots of people wear allergy warning bracelets. They save lives."

"I dunno. If you're allergic to something, you should know not to eat it, or tough it, or whatever."

"Well said," Sakura answered, giving him a sly look over the top of the manga.

"Okay, _no_, I didn't know that there was gonna be—"

"Of course you didn't." And with a small smile to reassure that she was teasing, she rested her head on his shoulder and put down the book.

"At least you're nice to me." Alfred wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze.

At that moment, there was a flash of light from the couch opposite, and Mei ran out of the room giggling, a camera held in her hands. "Blackmail pictures!" she squealed as she ran.

"Oh, please!" Alfred called after her. "There's nothing embarrassing about cuddling!"

Sakura sniggered and added, "It's not blackmail if I don't care!"

"Preach it, sister!" he exclaimed. They both laughed. "I should be getting home; my mom will be panicking."

"Bye," she said, walking him to the front door. "See you tomorrow!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When he went to school the next day, classwise, it was just as boring and uneventful as the day before. People were still shaken up. But some people couldn't care less. He had overheard someone talking about how if he had slowed eating, he would have realized he was about to eat the nuts. A little hurt by this, he moved on, pretending not to have heard.

It wasn't like he was fat. Sure, he ate a lot, but he was muscular for his age. He worked off what he did eat. At the time, he was talking to Sakura. He was already jumpy and nervous; that's just how she made him feel. He was spacing off, was all.

His teammates didn't help. They thought he was being weak and feminine. Alfred couldn't understand why; it was a necessary precaution he had to take to avoid another incident like that. But they wouldn't drop the face that he had to wear a bracelet and carry a handbag for his EpiPen that looked an awful lot like a purse, and it hurt his fragile teenaged ego.

Sakura was the most supportive of him. Lots of other people were just as helpful, but it was Sakura he was around most of the time, Sakura who pounced on anyone who showed the slightest bit of aggression towards him. He liked that she stood up for him; he didn't like how his teammates thought he was hiding behind a girl. It was a lose-lose situation; if he let Sakura stand up for him, he would get make fun of for it. If he stood up for himself, they would think he was over-reacting. If he just ignored them, they would continue to make fun of him.

At lunchtime, he was seething. People kept pelting peanut-based pieces of candy at him, and then laughing at him for being afraid of chocolate. It didn't hurt him as long as they were in their wrapper, but it was annoying to have to flinch away every time s different projectile made contact at the back of his head.

Finally, he stood up after a particularly large Snickers' bar was launched into his still-stinging face. Before he could get there, Tony had stood up from his place and was looming above the apparent culprit. "That's not funny," he told him, the defensive tackle named Eren.

Alfred didn't hear what he responded. But Tony grabbed his shirt and pulled him to his feet. "Unless your memory is damaged, or your skull is so think it can't retain information, Jones almost _died_. Please elaborate— how is that remotely funny?"

"Dude, calm _down_!" Eren cried, shoving Tony away. "It's just a _joke_!"

"A _joke_ that can potentially _kill_ your fellow teammate," he snarled. "Tell me— if Alfred died because you played a _joke_, do you think you'd be charged with manslaughter? Or do you think they'd go ahead and give you the murder charge?" The whole cafeteria was watching at this point. "It's _not. Funny._ What you're doing is harmful. All of you. What does it matter if Alfred has to wear a stupid bracelet or carry around a purse? There is no way that it affects you. So suck it up and leave him alone." And with that, he glared around the room with his unusual eyes and sat down.

The cacophony of voices started up again, and Alfred was still staring dumbfounded at Tony. "I don't think I've heard him talk before," Alice Kirkland noted from her seat across from Alfred.

"He's a better friend than I thought he was," he managed. "I should be nicer to him. Hang out with him, I mean."

"I think that's a good idea," Sakura said. "People like him are good people to be having around."

After the bell rang for lunch to end, Alfred caught up with Tony. "Hey, dude. I just—"

Tony cut him off. "Don't thank me."

"Why? You just put that into words that I didn't have. They would still be pelting Reese's at me if it weren't for you."

"Yeah. It was just the right thing to do. It's an odd thing to pick on someone for." Tony seemed to think of something funny, and he chuckled lightly. "It's like, 'Hey, this dude was almost killed because his lungs swelled up. Let's make fun of his traumatizing experience by calling him a pansy!' I swear, I'll never understand high school boys."

"Tony, you are a high school boy," Alfred reminded.

"Yeah. And so are you. See, I can point out the obvious, as well."

"You're pretty funny," he laughed. "Do you wanna hang out some time? I dunno, like, play one-on-one, or something."

Tony smiled, looking ahead. "Sure. Sounds like fun."

"So," Alfred started, "why did you stand up for me? I know I've been kind of a terrible friend, so it wasn't like you had to, or anything."

"Like I said," Tony informed, "It was the right thing to do."

**tADA what is that like seventeen stupid endings in a row?**

**okAayy I amho rrible human being sorry for waiting his long to update**

**so in other news school stARtstoMEo rrow andI dOnts wwannta goOogooooo D: **

**Today's chapter is dedicated to ImaginationGoldfish because she**

**WENT**

**TO **

**MY**

**PM BOX**

**And asked me to start writing again so I did and here we are **

**Please dudes if it takes me this long again tell me because who knows if you do we might end up becoming friends I like friends you like friends lets all b e friends and love eachot era like in middle school and cake and rainbows**

**shE OESNT EVEN GO HE ERRE**

**do you even go to this school**

**nO I just ha ve a lto o f felings **


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